Advance-Fee Loan Release Scam

You’re told that a loan, payout, or “approved payment” is ready and will be sent to your bank “immediately” — but first you must pay a smaller fee (often called a release, processing, clearance, or compliance fee). Once you pay, the scammers either ask for more money because of “new problems,” or they disappear. No money is ever released.

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Primary example

How this scam works

  1. 1

    Step 1: You receive an email, text, or call saying a large payment or loan has been approved and is ready to be released to your bank.

  2. 2

    Step 2: They say a smaller fee is still outstanding (for example, a R6,000 ‘release’ or ‘processing’ fee) and must be paid first.

  3. 3

    Step 3: To make it believable, they may claim an “agent” already made a partial deposit on your behalf, or they’ll list a business address or website.

  4. 4

    Step 4: After you pay, they invent new reasons to collect more fees — taxes, delays, compliance checks — or stop replying altogether.

✓ Do this

  • Pause and verify: contact the company using the phone number on its official website you find yourself (not numbers in the message).
  • Log in to your bank or lender account directly to confirm any promised funds.
  • Talk it over with a trusted friend or family member before sending any money.
  • Report the message to your bank and your national consumer/financial regulator.

✗ Avoid this

  • Do not pay any upfront fee to receive a loan, prize, inheritance, or payout.
  • Do not trust emails sent from free addresses (like Gmail) that pretend to be a company.
  • Do not send money by bank transfer, gift cards, vouchers, or crypto to release funds.
  • Do not click links or open attachments from unexpected messages promising money.

Quick tip: Verify independently

Don’t call numbers or click links in unexpected messages. Go directly to the company’s official site or app and contact support from there.

See common red flags