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{{short description|Type of fraud where the victim unknowingly engages in one way trade with the perpetrator}}
[[File:Scam letter posted within South Africa.jpg|thumb|Scam letter posted within [[South Africa]]]]
An '''advance-fee scam''' is a form of [[fraud]] and one of the most common types of [[confidence tricks]]. The scam typically involves promising the victim a significant share of a large sum of money, in return for a small up-front payment, which the fraudster claims will be used to obtain the large sum. If a victim makes the payment, the fraudster either invents a series of further fees for the victim to pay or simply disappears.<ref name=fbi>{{cite web|url=https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-fraud-schemes/advance-fee-schemes/|title=Advance Fee Scams}} FBI.</ref>
The [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) states that, "An advance fee scheme occurs when the victim pays money to someone in anticipation of receiving something of greater value—such as a loan, contract, investment, or gift—and then receives little or nothing in return."<ref name=fbi/> There are many variations of this type of [[scam]], including the "'''Nigerian prince scam'''", also known as a '''419 scam'''. The number "419" refers to the section of the Nigerian Criminal Code dealing with fraud, the charges and penalties for offenders. The scam has been used with [[fax]] and traditional [[mail]], and is now prevalent in online communications like [[emails]].<ref name=":0">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1055378/Nigerian-scam|title=Nigerian scam|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=2012-07-14}}</ref> Other variations include the [[Spanish Prisoner|Spanish Prisoner scam]] and the [[black money scam]].
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