what is an advance fee scam 
an advance fee scam happens when a victim pays money to a fraudster who has promised something of greater value in return such as a gift contract loan or investment the victim of course receives little or nothing even if they cooperate with the scammer s demands 5 the nigerian letter scam is an example of an advance fee scam because the victim is promised a cut of a large sum of money in exchange for providing banking details and making upfront payments 