advance fee
Payment before service
An advance fee is money paid upfront before receiving goods or services.
The term often appears in fraud contexts, where scammers demand payment before delivering promised benefits that never materialize: The classic advance fee scam promises lottery winnings after you wire processing costs.
Legitimate advance fees exist in consulting, legal work, and other professional services.
- upfrontDirect and honest
- upfront paymentInitial sum before delivery
- depositPlace for safekeeping
- prepaymentPayment made beforehand
- scamDishonest money-making scheme
fraud · Nigerian · Nigerian prince · wire · wire transfer · transfer · money order · bank account · send money · retainer · processing · loan · inheritance · lottery winnings · phishing · con · swindle · money
advance feedeferred payment
Buying before paying
final payment · balloon payment · installment payment · pay-as-you-go · COD
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