Advanced Fee Scams

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HOW TO STAY SAFE

Advanced Fee Scams

This is when scammers trick victims into paying upfront fees, usually for discounted goods or services, with the promise of a prize, large payoff, or a gift that needs to be delivered, or even an inheritance that needs to be distributed.

In another scenario, the scammers may ask for insurance fees or administration fees for a loan application, which is common in a loan scam.

They say these fees are to cover processing, delivery, taxes, legal work etc. - and these fees are never refundable.

However, victims never receive the goods or services, and the scam only ends when the victim stops paying, at which point communication is cut off.

How To Spot It

These are the red flags you should look out for:

You are approached unexpectedly, usually via informal channels.
You are contacted claiming that you have won a prize or gift for a competition you did not enter.
The scammers request money upfront, claiming it is a deposit or administrative fee required to facilitate the process.
Their demands escalate. Once you have paid the initial fee, the scammer will come up with new excuses for additional payments in order to proceed.
You are pressured into acting quickly and advised by the scammer not to delay the process. Scammers often create a sense of urgency to pressure you into acting quickly without thinking. Another tactic is to create a feeling of FOMO (fear of missing out) to entice you into acting without conducting due diligence checks.
The quality of the communication is poor, and the information is vague. The use of informal channels and resources, contacting you via anonymous sources, and obvious mistakes like poor spelling and grammar. The website or head office details may impersonate legitimate institutions with false contact information. In other cases, the scammers may not have a website, so they deflect when you request formal contact details and are unable to provide detailed information about their business or institution.

What To Do

There are steps you can take to empower yourself to fight back against scams:

Verify and do your own research: Before you take any action, contact the company or organisation via their formal channels to confirm any offers or deals are in fact legitimate.
Avoid unsolicited offers: Be wary of people or organisations who approach you out of the blue with something they say will benefit you.
Do not pay upfront fees: Do not pay any fees upfront before verifying and doing your research to confirm that it is a legitimate service/ offering provided by a registered entity. Legitimate financial service providers do not require you to pay upfront insurance or administrative fees for loan applications, and competitions run by legitimate companies do not require you to pay any delivery or administration fees, or taxes to receive your prize.
Do not share information: Do not share any confidential or personal information before conducting your research and verifying to confirm any offers or deals are in fact legitimate. Legitimate organisations will never ask for confidential information like your banking PIN or account login information.
Be wary of a sense of urgency: Do not be pressured into acting quickly - take the time to think.
Be sceptical: If it seems ‘too good to be true’, it probably is. Question why a high value product or service is being offered at such a reduced rate or if credit is being offered irrespective of your credit score. These are instant red flags.
Report it: If you have been scammed, please report it immediately to the relevant organisation and/ or authorities, as well as the Yima reporting function below, or the Yima scams hotline.

Stop. Think. Verify. Don't get scammed!

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HOW TO STAY SAFE

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Online Shopping Scam
Online shopping and e-commerce channels have grown tremendously in the last few years as more and more people are turning to it for the convenience it offers in a fast-paced world, as well as the amazing deals you can find online. However, this has also created various opportunities for scammers to gain access to your information or to steal your hard-earned cash.
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Romance Scams
As more and more of our lives exist online, it is no surprise that dating is as well. Many people turn to online platforms to find love and connection. There are many wonderful success stories, however, scammers have entered the chat, and they use sophisticated methods to deceive and trick unsuspecting victims who are simply looking for love.
FIND OUT MORE
Vishing (Phone Calls)
Scammers phone individuals posing as a representative from an established organisation like a bank, mobile service provider, insurer, retailer, government body or even the police. This is also known as voice phishing or vishing.
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These scams involve using a person's desire to connect with their heritage or cultural beliefs. Scammers create fake inheritance scenarios or fictitious ancestral demands from a sangoma (traditional healer).
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Commodity Scams
A commodity scam is a sophisticated scheme involving raw materials like agricultural products, precious metals, or energy.
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Employment scams target people who are looking for jobs or employment opportunities. Scammers create fake job posts to lure people in, only to steal their money or personal information.
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Smishing (SMSs)
Smishing is short for 'SMS phishing'. This is when fraudsters send an SMS pretending to be an organisation asking for financial or personal information.
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Impersonation Scams
Impersonation scams involve criminals pretending to be trusted individuals or representatives from reputable organisations with the aim of stealing your money or personal and confidential information.
FIND OUT MORE
Quishing (Malicious QR Codes)
Quishing, or QR code phishing, is a scam where criminals use malicious QR codes to trick people into visiting their fake websites, downloading malware onto their devices, sharing personal information or stealing your money.
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Social Engineering
Social engineering is a tactic used by scammers to influence or deceive a victim in order to steal their personal/ financial information or money, or to gain control over a system. It is about about using your behaviour and what you share with the world against you, and exploits your trust. A common tactic by scammers is to create a fake profile and then befriend potential victims, taking great interest in their social lives. They use this connection to gain access to your life and information.
FIND OUT MORE
Crypto Scams
Scammers create fake online investment trading platforms and investment houses, or crypto exchanges with the intention of stealing your money. They create professional looking marketing material and share posts on social media platforms to entice interest - promising fantastic returns for little investment. Their fake websites or mobile applications are designed to impress with technical layouts that imitate legitimate trading platforms.
FIND OUT MORE
Business Email Compromise
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FIND OUT MORE
Loan/ Debt Collector Scams
A loan scam is when a criminal deceives an individual into applying for fake loans. The scammers request personal and confidential information which is later used for other criminal activities.
FIND OUT MORE
Investment Scams
Scammers create the illusion of amazing investment opportunities that will help you improve your financial status.
FIND OUT MORE
Phishing (Emails/Websites)
Phishing emails ask users to click on a link in the email. This link will direct them to a 'spoofed' website (a fake website that very closely resembles the original site) to obtain, verify or update contact details or other confidential information, including financial information.
FIND OUT MORE
Money Mules
Fraudsters often trick people into letting them use their bank accounts to receive money from illegal activities - such as fraud, corruption, drug sales, smuggling, or even human trafficking. This tactic, known as money laundering, hides their identity by making transactions look legitimate.
FIND OUT MORE
Online Shopping Scam
Online shopping and e-commerce channels have grown tremendously in the last few years as more and more people are turning to it for the convenience it offers in a fast-paced world, as well as the amazing deals you can find online. However, this has also created various opportunities for scammers to gain access to your information or to steal your hard-earned cash.
FIND OUT MORE
Push Payment Fraud
Push payment fraud is when a person is tricked into authorising a real-time transfer of funds to a scammer impersonating a trusted organisation, like a bank representative for example.
FIND OUT MORE
Remote Access Scams
You are contacted by a scammer posing as a service provider that is known to you. They request 'remote access' to your device to do a security check, update or transaction.
FIND OUT MORE
Romance Scams
As more and more of our lives exist online, it is no surprise that dating is as well. Many people turn to online platforms to find love and connection. There are many wonderful success stories, however, scammers have entered the chat, and they use sophisticated methods to deceive and trick unsuspecting victims who are simply looking for love.
FIND OUT MORE
Vishing (Phone Calls)
Scammers phone individuals posing as a representative from an established organisation like a bank, mobile service provider, insurer, retailer, government body or even the police. This is also known as voice phishing or vishing.
FIND OUT MORE
Ancestry Scams
These scams involve using a person's desire to connect with their heritage or cultural beliefs. Scammers create fake inheritance scenarios or fictitious ancestral demands from a sangoma (traditional healer).
FIND OUT MORE
Commodity Scams
A commodity scam is a sophisticated scheme involving raw materials like agricultural products, precious metals, or energy.
FIND OUT MORE
Employment Scams
Employment scams target people who are looking for jobs or employment opportunities. Scammers create fake job posts to lure people in, only to steal their money or personal information.
FIND OUT MORE
Smishing (SMSs)
Smishing is short for 'SMS phishing'. This is when fraudsters send an SMS pretending to be an organisation asking for financial or personal information.
FIND OUT MORE
Impersonation Scams
Impersonation scams involve criminals pretending to be trusted individuals or representatives from reputable organisations with the aim of stealing your money or personal and confidential information.
FIND OUT MORE
Quishing (Malicious QR Codes)
Quishing, or QR code phishing, is a scam where criminals use malicious QR codes to trick people into visiting their fake websites, downloading malware onto their devices, sharing personal information or stealing your money.
FIND OUT MORE
Social Engineering
Social engineering is a tactic used by scammers to influence or deceive a victim in order to steal their personal/ financial information or money, or to gain control over a system. It is about about using your behaviour and what you share with the world against you, and exploits your trust. A common tactic by scammers is to create a fake profile and then befriend potential victims, taking great interest in their social lives. They use this connection to gain access to your life and information.
FIND OUT MORE
Crypto Scams
Scammers create fake online investment trading platforms and investment houses, or crypto exchanges with the intention of stealing your money. They create professional looking marketing material and share posts on social media platforms to entice interest - promising fantastic returns for little investment. Their fake websites or mobile applications are designed to impress with technical layouts that imitate legitimate trading platforms.
FIND OUT MORE
Business Email Compromise
Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a sophisticated tactic where scammers impersonate high-ranking company officials or trusted partners through email or other messaging platforms to trick employees into making payments or sharing private and confidential business information.
FIND OUT MORE
Loan/ Debt Collector Scams
A loan scam is when a criminal deceives an individual into applying for fake loans. The scammers request personal and confidential information which is later used for other criminal activities.
FIND OUT MORE
Investment Scams
Scammers create the illusion of amazing investment opportunities that will help you improve your financial status.
FIND OUT MORE
Phishing (Emails/Websites)
Phishing emails ask users to click on a link in the email. This link will direct them to a 'spoofed' website (a fake website that very closely resembles the original site) to obtain, verify or update contact details or other confidential information, including financial information.
FIND OUT MORE
Money Mules
Fraudsters often trick people into letting them use their bank accounts to receive money from illegal activities - such as fraud, corruption, drug sales, smuggling, or even human trafficking. This tactic, known as money laundering, hides their identity by making transactions look legitimate.
FIND OUT MORE
Online Shopping Scam
Online shopping and e-commerce channels have grown tremendously in the last few years as more and more people are turning to it for the convenience it offers in a fast-paced world, as well as the amazing deals you can find online. However, this has also created various opportunities for scammers to gain access to your information or to steal your hard-earned cash.
FIND OUT MORE
Push Payment Fraud
Push payment fraud is when a person is tricked into authorising a real-time transfer of funds to a scammer impersonating a trusted organisation, like a bank representative for example.
FIND OUT MORE
Remote Access Scams
You are contacted by a scammer posing as a service provider that is known to you. They request 'remote access' to your device to do a security check, update or transaction.
FIND OUT MORE
Romance Scams
As more and more of our lives exist online, it is no surprise that dating is as well. Many people turn to online platforms to find love and connection. There are many wonderful success stories, however, scammers have entered the chat, and they use sophisticated methods to deceive and trick unsuspecting victims who are simply looking for love.
FIND OUT MORE
Vishing (Phone Calls)
Scammers phone individuals posing as a representative from an established organisation like a bank, mobile service provider, insurer, retailer, government body or even the police. This is also known as voice phishing or vishing.
FIND OUT MORE
Ancestry Scams
These scams involve using a person's desire to connect with their heritage or cultural beliefs. Scammers create fake inheritance scenarios or fictitious ancestral demands from a sangoma (traditional healer).
FIND OUT MORE
Commodity Scams
A commodity scam is a sophisticated scheme involving raw materials like agricultural products, precious metals, or energy.
FIND OUT MORE
Employment Scams
Employment scams target people who are looking for jobs or employment opportunities. Scammers create fake job posts to lure people in, only to steal their money or personal information.
FIND OUT MORE
Smishing (SMSs)
Smishing is short for 'SMS phishing'. This is when fraudsters send an SMS pretending to be an organisation asking for financial or personal information.
FIND OUT MORE
Impersonation Scams
Impersonation scams involve criminals pretending to be trusted individuals or representatives from reputable organisations with the aim of stealing your money or personal and confidential information.
FIND OUT MORE
Quishing (Malicious QR Codes)
Quishing, or QR code phishing, is a scam where criminals use malicious QR codes to trick people into visiting their fake websites, downloading malware onto their devices, sharing personal information or stealing your money.
FIND OUT MORE
Social Engineering
Social engineering is a tactic used by scammers to influence or deceive a victim in order to steal their personal/ financial information or money, or to gain control over a system. It is about about using your behaviour and what you share with the world against you, and exploits your trust. A common tactic by scammers is to create a fake profile and then befriend potential victims, taking great interest in their social lives. They use this connection to gain access to your life and information.
FIND OUT MORE
Crypto Scams
Scammers create fake online investment trading platforms and investment houses, or crypto exchanges with the intention of stealing your money. They create professional looking marketing material and share posts on social media platforms to entice interest - promising fantastic returns for little investment. Their fake websites or mobile applications are designed to impress with technical layouts that imitate legitimate trading platforms.
FIND OUT MORE
Business Email Compromise
Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a sophisticated tactic where scammers impersonate high-ranking company officials or trusted partners through email or other messaging platforms to trick employees into making payments or sharing private and confidential business information.
FIND OUT MORE
Loan/ Debt Collector Scams
A loan scam is when a criminal deceives an individual into applying for fake loans. The scammers request personal and confidential information which is later used for other criminal activities.
FIND OUT MORE

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HOW TO STAY SAFE

Advanced Fee Scams

How To Spot It

What To Do

HOW TO STAY SAFE

Loan/ Debt Collector Scams

Investment Scams

Phishing (Emails/Websites)