Advance-Fee Scam

An advance-fee scam convinces a target to pay a smaller fee upfront — framed as a tax, processing charge, shipping cost, or 'insurance' — in order to receive a much larger prize, loan, job, or payout that is subsequently never delivered. It's the core mechanic behind most fake lottery and sweepstakes wins and many fraudulent remote job offers, and the giveaway is simple: no legitimate prize, employer, or lender ever requires payment before you receive what was promised.