Avoid upfront fees

Scammers trick people into paying upfront fees for jobs, prizes, loans, or inheritances. They may promise big payouts, but it’s a scam. 

Avoid upfront payment - Desktop 1100x500

Work-from-home job scam 

Scammers send messages on platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram promising a steady income or large payout for easy work-from-home digital marketing jobs.  

How a typical job scam works

  • You get a message or an invite to a group chat from a ‘company’
  • They promise an extra income or big payout while working from home
  • They start by paying you for small tasks to build your trust
  • Then they offer bigger jobs and more money – but only if you pay a fee 

Once you pay them, they disappear with your money 

Other common upfront fee scams 

Prize scam: Scammers may contact you on various platforms, claiming you've won a prize. They may share a link asking for your personal details or banking info or ask you to pay an admin fee to claim the 'prize'.

Loan scam: Scammers ask you to pay an upfront fee to process a loan or release the funds. They use words like ‘admin fee’, ‘approval fee’, or ‘processing fee’ to make it sound official. 

Inheritance scam: Scammers could also trick you with promises of an inheritance from that rich relative you didn’t know you had. To release the money, they ask you to pay an upfront fee.  

Tips to slam the scams 

  • Watch out for messages promising easy money and offers that seem too good to be true
  • Beware of scammers pretending to be real digital marketing companies, recruiters, or credit providers
  • Make sure the offer is legitimate by visiting the company’s official website and channels 
  • Don’t click on suspicious links or share your personal or banking info with unknown sources
  • Never pay upfront fees for a job, prize, loan, or inheritance   

Remember, legitimate companies won’t ask you to pay upfront fees.