Advance fee fraud typically involves the offer of a sum of money, gifts or prizes in exchange for some kind of co-operation from the victim. The aim of the fraud is to convince victims to transfer money to the perpetrator, typically via a money transfer service.
Many variations on the story are associated with the fraud. Names and logos of large companies such as BASF are often used to try to convey authenticity.
Examples:
- A person claiming to work for BASF sends you a job offer or an interview invitation without you having sent an application. They ask you for sensitive personal information e.g. bank details, or to transfer a sum of money e.g. for ‘visa fees’, relocation, administrative charges or as a sign of ‘good faith’. The name and photograph of a real BASF representative may even be used, perhaps in combination with the BASF logo. Alternatively the imposter may claim to be a headhunter.
- In a similar scenario an imposter invites you to simply ‘get to know’ a hiring manager, without offering a concrete job offer, while also soliciting money or sensitive information from you.