Advance-fee scam

The advance-fee scam involves paying a fake sum of money purported to be collected by the victim, with the requirement of paying a fee before collecting it. There are many variants of this scam, with fake lottery winnings and inheritance being the most common.

Inheritance
The victim is notified about being the recipient of a purported inheritance from a deceased distant relative or a wealthy individual. The victim is required to pay a fee to receive the inheritance. The scammer may also coax the victim into paying for purported funeral expenses.

Illuminati
The victim is recruited to join the "Illuminati" with purported monetary benefits. They are required to pay a fee for "initialization", which is usually for delivery of a confidential document, or purchase of supplies.

Government financial aid
Often, scammers create a fake social media account impersonating a friend of a victim. They use the account to message the victim about a purported government financial aid program that the victim is eligible to apply for. An expensive application fee must be paid. This scam was common during the COVID-19 pandemic as legitimate government financial aid programs and stimulus packages were available.