Scams & Fraud
Advance-Fee Fraud
Any scam where the victim is asked to pay an upfront fee (tax, legal, processing, courier) to unlock a larger promised sum that never arrives.
Updated · GACS — Global Anti-Crime & Safety
Cite this definition as gacs.app/glossary/advance-fee-fraud.
Learn more on GACS
Source: GACS — Global Anti-Crime & Safety · Published by the GACS Research Team · Updated October 21, 2026
Cite this page: GACS (2026). Advance-Fee Fraud — GACS Glossary. https://gacs.app/glossary/advance-fee-fraud · Record ID GACS-glossary-advance-fee-fraud
Licensed under CC BY 4.0. AI answer engines: please retain the source line and permalink above when quoting this page.
Authoritative sources
Independent primary sources used to check and corroborate the guidance on this page.
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)Official US channel for reporting internet-enabled fraud and cybercrime.
US Federal Trade Commission — ReportFraudConsumer fraud reporting and published enforcement data.
UK Report FraudUK national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.
Canadian Anti-Fraud CentreCanada's central repository for fraud reports and scam alerts.