Advance fee fraud is nothing new, but it seems to be particularly successful on platforms like Facebook. The scammers often create emotional and heartbreaking stories and promise large sums of money to deceive unsuspecting users.
The Fraud – An Ugly Reality
We all occasionally see strange messages from strangers on Facebook, but sometimes such a message can have dangerous consequences. It often happens that someone pretends that they are seriously ill and want to donate their assets. Such messages often describe how the person is suffering from a terminal illness and wants to give their money to someone who will “put it to good use.”
But be careful: these emotional stories often end in advance payment fraud. The scammers try to win your sympathy and get you to send money - supposedly for administrative costs or something similar - before you receive the promised inheritance.
A concrete example of an emotional rip-off
To raise awareness of this type of scam and give you a better understanding of scammers' tactics, we would like to show you a recent example of a Facebook status post:

“Hello, my name is Audrey Carine. Born in Germany in the cities of Cologne, but I live in the Philippines, I have been a widow for 16 years and have never had a child in my life. I plan to put all my things away. I have a large sum (250,000 euros) that I would like to make available to you through a donation so that you can carry out works of goodwill in view of my serious health condition. I have a terminal brain tumor. From what the doctor explained to me, I know a balloon is currently installed in my brain cage. I have had this disease for over 5 years. I would be grateful if you receive this money which can help you in your business and projects. I ask you to accept it because it is a gift that I give you, without asking anything in return. Here is my email to speak better: audreycarine10@gmail.com Here is my lawyer's number. +639702720081“
In this example, the scammer uses an emotional story to elicit sympathy and build trust. The fraudster pretends to be Audrey Carine, a terminally ill woman from Cologne who lives in the Philippines and wants to donate her assets. The fact that she is offering an amount of 250,000 euros is intended to arouse the greed of potential victims. She encourages recipients to use the money for a good cause and provides an email address for further communications.
The pattern
These messages vary, but are always the same in various ways:
- Person in Distress : The person sending the message is often in some sort of distress. They could claim to be seriously ill, or they could say that they have no family and want to give away their wealth before they die.
- Large sums of money : The person often promises to give away or bequeath a large sum of money. This serves to arouse the interest and greed of potential victims.
- Request for an upfront payment : At some point, the potential victim will be asked to make some sort of upfront payment. This could be presented as a fee for transferring funds, a donation to a charity, or a security deposit.
- Urgency : The scammers often try to create a sense of urgency. They might claim that time is short or that the money is needed immediately.
- Request for personal information : Personal information or documents necessary for the alleged process are often requested. This can be your name, address, telephone number and even a copy of your ID.
- Off-platform communication : The scammers usually request that communication be moved to another platform. Mostly via email or WhatsApp.
How can you protect yourself?
The most important protection against advance fee fraud is knowing that and how such frauds work. Be suspicious if someone promises you a large sum of money, especially if it requires you to wire money in advance. Don't be influenced by emotional stories and don't share personal information or money with anyone you don't know personally.
If you come across a message that seems suspicious, report it to Facebook immediately and do not respond to it. Don't forget that it's not just about your money, but also about your personal information and privacy.
Conclusion
Advance fee fraud is a common and nasty type of fraud, and scammers use social media to reach potential victims. Stay vigilant and share this information with your friends and family to raise awareness and protect others.
Also read:
If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:
📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.
Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!
* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

