Report an
advance fee scam.
If someone promises you a large sum of money — an inheritance, a business deal, a locked fund — but you need to pay fees upfront to "release" it, that is an advance fee scam. Also known as 419 fraud, this classic scheme has been running for decades and has evolved from Nigerian prince emails to sophisticated business proposals. The promised money never materializes.
Quick advance fee scam report
Document the fake promise and any payments you made. Use the full report builder
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How advance fee scams work — the oldest online fraud, still thriving
The advance fee scam — sometimes called 419 fraud after the section of the Nigerian criminal code that addresses it — is one of the oldest cons in the internet era. Despite being widely mocked as the "Nigerian prince" scam, it still generates over $107 million in reported losses annually, according to the FBI. The modern versions are far more sophisticated than the obvious broken-English emails of the early 2000s.
The core mechanic never changes: someone contacts you with an opportunity to receive a large amount of money (an inheritance, a business deal, a government payout, trapped funds), but you need to pay a relatively small fee first to cover taxes, legal fees, transfer charges, or customs. You pay. Then there's another fee. And another. Each time, the promised windfall is "almost ready." It never arrives. Some victims have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars over months or years.
Modern advance fee variants
Inheritance scams notify you of a fictional relative who died abroad and left you millions. Business opportunity scams offer partnerships or contracts with large advance payments. Loan scams promise guaranteed approval but require upfront "processing fees." Grant scams claim you qualify for a government or foundation grant if you pay a release fee. Overpayment scams send you a check for more than owed and ask you to wire back the difference before the check bounces.
The rule that protects you
You should never have to pay money to receive money. Legitimate inheritances, grants, loans, and business deals do not require the recipient to pay upfront fees. If fees are legitimate, they are deducted from the proceeds — not paid separately via wire transfer or gift cards. If anyone asks you to pay money now in exchange for a promise of money later, stop all communication immediately.
Where else to report
File in multiple places to maximize impact:
- →FBI IC3 — ic3.gov — the primary agency for international advance fee fraud
- →FTC — reportfraud.ftc.gov — for tracking fraud patterns
- →Your email provider — forward the scam email to report phishing (Google: reportphishing@google.com)
- →Your bank — if you wired money, contact them immediately — some transfers can be recalled
Related scam types
Scammers often combine tactics. If this looks familiar, check these too: