Advance Fee Scams
You're promised something of value — a loan, prize, inheritance, or job — but first you must pay a small upfront fee. The reward never materialises and the fees escalate.
CONGRATULATIONS!
You have won £250,000
From: UK National Lottery Prize Fund
To claim your prize, please pay the release fee of £450 to unlock your winnings.
Common forms
Lottery & Prize Scams
You've won! Just pay a fee to release your winnings.
Loan Fee Fraud
Upfront fees required before a loan is released — the loan never comes.
Inheritance Scams
A distant relative has left you money — just pay legal fees first.
Job Offer Scams
Pay for training, uniform, or background checks for a fake job.
Warning signs
- You must pay a fee to receive something
- Contacted out of the blue about a windfall
- Requests to keep the arrangement secret
- Fees keep increasing with new excuses
- Unusual payment methods requested (gift cards, crypto)
Your rights
If you made bank transfers as part of an advance fee scam, you may be entitled to reimbursement under APP fraud rules. We'll assess your eligibility for free.
Client Success Story
"I was struggling financially and applied for a loan online. I was told it was approved but I needed to pay an upfront insurance fee of £800 to release the funds. Then a legal processing fee. Then a tax clearance. I paid seven separate fees before realising there was no loan. Refund United recovered nearly everything."
Robert H.
Glasgow · Advance fee / loan fraud victim
Amount recovered
£9,400
How we helped: We demonstrated that the bank had processed a series of escalating payments bearing the hallmarks of a known advance fee fraud pattern without applying appropriate friction or safeguarding checks. The bank settled the claim for £9,400 before the case reached the FOS.
