Desperate Advance Fee Scam Victims Can Be Vulnerable to Follow-Up Scam Attempts
Double Dipping Scammers Prey on Past Victims
Too Good to Be True
We have all seen those scam emails claiming we have won a million-dollar lottery or inherited a vast fortune from a long-lost relative.
Most people now recognise these messages as fraudulent attempts to trick victims into paying money up front for nonexistent prizes or inheritances.
Yet, despite widespread awareness, many vulnerable people around the world continue to fall victim every day. According to the 2024 Global Financial Crime Report, global losses to advance fee scams in 2023 reached a staggering $8.2 billion.
Why Victims Keep Sending Money
One of the most tragic aspects of these scams is that victims often refuse to accept that they have been deceived. Instead, they cling to the hope that they will still receive the promised riches.
This is partly due to what psychologists call the escalation of commitment trap. The more money a victim sends, the more emotionally and financially invested they become. Rather than cutting their losses, they may continue to send even more money in the belief that the payoff is just around the corner.
The Second Round of Scams
Eventually, most victims realise they have been conned and stop sending money.
Unfortunately, this is not always the end of the story. Many become targets of “second round” scams, which are designed to exploit them all over again.
Scammers often pose as law enforcement officers or government officials, sending emails that appear to offer assistance in recovering the original funds.
For example, a victim might receive a message claiming to be from the FBI’s so-called “Anti-Terrorist and Monetary Crimes Division”. The email may state that the FBI has verified the legitimacy of the victim’s supposed lottery win, blaming earlier requests for money on corrupt officials.
The message will claim that the FBI has stepped in to ensure the prize is paid, but only after the recipient wires a small “final processing fee” to the “agent” handling the case.
A Vicious Cycle
Of course, this is just another scam. Once the victim pays, new “unexpected fees” will appear, and the scammers will continue pressuring them for more money.
Desperation and false hope can blind victims to the reality that they are simply being deceived again.
It may seem difficult to believe that anyone could fall for a second scam after already losing money, but it happens far too often. Over the years, I have received many messages from worried relatives and friends of victims caught in this cycle. In many cases, no amount of reasoning can convince the victim that they are being conned.
Protecting Loved Ones
If you have family members or friends who may be vulnerable to these types of scams, it is worth starting a conversation with them. Even a short discussion about how these frauds work could prevent someone from losing money and save them from significant emotional distress.
A little awareness can stop a scammer from getting paid and protect someone from becoming the next victim.