SCARS™ Psychology Of Scams: Research Paper-Report – Risk Factors For Advance Fee Fraud Victimisation

Advance fee scams come in many guises. Some regularly seen examples involve:

• offers to participate in business deals with wealthy individuals;
• assisting dignitaries by paying fees to move large sums of money out of a foreign country in order to receive a share of the proceeds;
• paying fees in order to receive lottery winnings, an inheritance or some other prize; or
• paying money to develop a personal relationship or marriage with someone met online.

In each case, the motivation behind the deception is to secure a payment from the victim which is paid in the expectation that a substantial benefit will follow. Of course, this fails to eventuate and the victim is lef