Advanced Fee Fraud

Advanced Fee Fraud is a new step on an old con. It involves you receiving a notice, either by mail or Internet email, that boldly states that you have won some sort of prize, or that your email address has been selected at random to be the recipient of a large sum of money. Some will even make claims that they are the long lost relative of some dictator or some such prominent figure and ask you to help them get the money, while promising you a very large sum for the help. Many will even include a counterfeit check or money order to further entice you to become a victim. While the stories vary, the means to the scam is always the same. You will receive some sort of documentation, usually in the mail or even by overnight shipping service, that supposedly helps make the offer appear legitimate.