What Is Advance Fee Fraud?
Advance fee fraud, widely known as the '419 scam' (after the relevant section of the Nigerian Criminal Code), is one of the oldest and most widespread financial scams in the world. It works by convincing a victim that they are about to receive a large sum of money — an inheritance, lottery prize, government grant, or business windfall — but must first pay a small 'processing fee,' 'tax,' or 'legal cost.'
After the victim pays, more fees are always invented. The promised money never materialises. Victims have lost hundreds of thousands of cedis — and in international cases, far more.
Common Variations
Inheritance Scams: You are contacted by a 'lawyer' or 'bank official' claiming that a distant relative you have never met has died and left you a large inheritance. To release the funds, you must pay 'estate taxes' or 'legal fees.'
Lottery Scams: You receive an email or SMS stating you have won a foreign lottery — even though you never entered. You must pay a 'release fee' to claim your winnings.
Government Contract Scams: A 'government official' offers you a cut of a large government contract in exchange for fronting processing or registration fees.
Overpayment Scams: A buyer sends you a cheque or mobile money payment for far more than the agreed price for something you're selling, then asks you to refund the difference. The original payment later bounces or is reversed.
Why People Fall For It
These scams are professionally designed. The fraudsters invest heavily in fake documents, official-looking letterheads, and even fake websites. They are patient — some scams run for months before the first payment is requested.
The promise of wealth, combined with the sunk-cost feeling ('I've already invested so much time and hope'), makes it psychologically difficult to walk away even when warning signs appear.
How to Avoid Advance Fee Scams
If you have been promised money you did not actively earn, expect, or enter a competition for — it is almost certainly a scam.
Legitimate lotteries, government programmes, and inheritances never require upfront fees from the recipient.
Do not share your bank account details, ID documents, or personal information with unknown parties online.
Search for the name, email, or phone number of anyone making these claims. Real scam attempts are often documented by fraud awareness organisations.
Verify any 'legal' or 'official' body by contacting them through numbers found on their official government website — not the contact information the fraudster provides.