Your weekly dose of scam-proofing in 3 minutes or less—no fluff, just the latest hacks, scams, phishing attacks, and cyber cons you actually need to know about.

🚨SCAM OF THE WEEK: ADVANCE FEE SCAMS

Because getting paid should never start with you paying them.

What the hell is an Advance Fee Scam?

It’s a classic: scammers promise you money, prizes, jobs, or opportunities - but first, you need to pay a small fee to unlock it.

That fee? Gone. That “opportunity”? Never real.

It’s like paying shipping for a package that doesn’t exist.

How does it work?

1. The fake prize:

   You “win” a lottery, contest, inheritance, or grant - but before they send the money, you need to cover “processing fees,” taxes, or legal paperwork.
   

2. The fake job:

   You’re offered a job (sometimes as a mystery shopper or remote worker), but you need to pay upfront for training, uniforms, or background checks.
   

3. The fake investment:

   You’re promised high returns, but you’ve got to transfer an “activation fee” first. Once you do, surprise - another fee appears. And another.
   

4. The fake romance twist:

   Some scammers mix in emotional manipulation - “I want to come visit you, but I need help with travel costs.” You send the money. They vanish.

Why it works

✅ The amounts seem small at first - £20, £50, £200

✅ The story sounds legit: admin fees, taxes, shipping

✅ Victims get strung along with new excuses, more fees, and fake paperwork

✅ People get emotionally invested - especially when jobs, relationships, or windfalls are involved

Advance fee scams are just old-school fraud wrapped in slightly better grammar.

Real-world facepalms

💸 In 2023, UK residents reported losing over £10 million to advance fee scams - mostly through job offers, loan applications, and fake competitions.

💸 One woman paid over £9,000 in fees to claim a fake £1.2m “inheritance” left to her by a relative she’d never heard of. Spoiler: there was no will, or relative.

💸 Fraudsters posing as UK Home Office officials targeted immigrants, demanding upfront “visa release” fees. It was all fake - just phishing with a badge.

How to not get suckered

• Never pay upfront to receive money. Real jobs, banks, or governments don’t work that way.
  

• Be suspicious of anyone asking for payment via wire transfer, crypto, or gift cards.
  

• Look up the organisation, person, or opportunity independently—don’t trust the links they send.
  

• If someone keeps asking for “just one more fee,” stop. That’s the scam in progress.
  

• If it’s too good to be true - it’s a scam with admin fees.

Final thought:

You shouldn’t have to pay to win. Or work. Or inherit.

Real opportunities don’t come with a checkout screen. 🤙

⚡ SHARP CYBERSECURITY TIP

If you’re not using multi-factor authentication yet, don’t be shocked when your “secure” password gets you nowhere. Turn it on. Everywhere. Right now.

🔥 ONE-LINER HOT TAKE

If they want money before giving you money, it’s not an opportunity - it’s a withdrawal from your dignity.

That’s it for this week.

If someone’s asking you for £49.99 to claim a “cash reward” or unlock a dream job—don’t be polite. Close the tab, block the number, keep your money.

Catch you next time,

Dan & the Goldphish Team

📌 P.S. Know someone waiting on a “guaranteed payout” that needs a small fee first? Forward this before they learn that hope isn’t refundable, or tell them to subscribe below.👇