ADVANCE FEE SCHEMES
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There are numerous types of advanced fee schemes.  Many of them require that money be sent to the perpetrator before some product, service, prize, or business opportunity will be transferred to the victim.  Some perpetrators request cash, money order, or an electronic transfer of funds.  Never give your bank account number to someone over the phone unless you have initiated the call and are comfortable with the identity of the person/business on the other end.  Never agree to wire money to an undisclosed location, to an unidentified person or company.  Never agree to have a private courier come to your home to pick up cash for a transaction.  Legitimate businesses will understand your hesitation on these issues and will allow you to complete a transaction in a variety of ways.

In an especially heinous form of advance fee scam, thieves (or their confederates) contact a victim of fraud pretending to be someone in law enforcement.  For a fee, often hundreds or even thousands of dollars, they offer to recover any money already lost by the victim in a previous scam.  Never send money to someone claiming to be able to recover lost funds.  Legitimate agencies, such as the police or an attorney's office, will never ask for funds when investigating a fraud. 

Another variation of the advance fee scheme, perpetrators call identity theft victims and offer to help them "correct" their damaged credit report.  Sometimes, they declare that they can remove debts or other negative information.  Or, the thieves may claim to be able to help victims circumvent their credit rating by helping them establish an alternative file or a new, clean rating.  All of this is usually at a tremendous cost. And even if they can do this, it is almost always illegal. There is no way to remove negative information from a credit report in this manner and establishing a new record usually involves fraudulent activity such as acquiring a new social security number, often illegally.  Victims should know that they themselves can contact the credit reporting agencies and attempt to correct the problems themselves, by disputing claims, adding letters of explanation to their file regarding the theft of their identity, and flagging their account for future fraudulent activity.  In rare and extreme cases, a victim may be able to apply for a new social security number legally, but there is usually little or no fee associated with this process.    

To protect oneself, always be cautious if someone requests an advanced fee for any product or service, especially if that person or business is unknown. To protect yourself, do some research on the company or agency.  If you decide to continue with the venture, do not pay cash, because it cannot be traced. Credit cards and checks give more protection because payments can be stopped or disputed.  It is also possible to check with your bank or credit card company after the transaction to see if any fraudulent charges have been made.  If you have suspicions that you may have been a victim of fraud, contact your local law enforcement agency.