What is the sentence for advance fee fraud in 2022?

There are several variations of the advance fee fraud offence. Although Nigeria is a country that is often referred to for these scams, they typically originate in the United States and the United Kingdom.

The earliest recorded advance fee fraud is known as the Spanish Prisoner scam – first implemented in the 18^th century. A small amount of money was requested to bribe correctional officers to free a very wealthy prisoner in Spain. In exchange for assistance, it was promised that there would be plenty of money to receive once the prisoner was free.

More modern advance fee fraud scams that most people are familiar with are employment scams, bogus job offers, lottery scams, scarce pet scams and phoney conferences.

If you’re part of advance fee fraud investigations, there’s no doubt that you will find it to be upsetting and stressful. You’ll feel frightened about what might happen to you. Will you be given a large fine and a hefty prison sentence? How will you financially support your dependents without an income?

To help you to understand what the outcome might be as a result of being convicted of an advance fee fraud, we’ve put together details on the sentencing guidelines below.  Please note that a competent and experienced solicitor may be able to get any prison sentence reduced or even avoid it entirely.

Read more details about the offence of Advance Free Fraud

What type of actions are considered advance fee fraud?

The typical advance fee fraud case involves receiving a reward in exchange for a small financial investment. Most people are aware of the scam that offers money in exchange for bank account details.

Here are some other examples of advance fee fraud that may have led to the situation at hand.

Inheritance fraud – for example, this is when a potential victim is told that a wealthy relative has added them to the will, or that they are the only surviving relative and due to receive a large sum of money.

Sports tipster scams – for instance, when so-called experts or tipsters share their ‘knowledge’ to help a person to win horse racing or other sports bets.

Online dating scams – this can happen when a seeker of romance will meet a person they like on an online dating app or website. The person they are interested in will work hard to gain trust and then ask the first person to send them money for reasons that are full of emotion.

Lottery prize scams – for instance, fraudsters will contact a person and inform them that they’ve won a prize draw or have won a sweepstake or lottery.

Career opportunity scams – fake job opportunities are posted by false companies and payment is required to access further information that does then not materialise.

There are many other examples. If you would like to know more about whether a crime that you’ve been linked to is classified as an advance fee fraud crime, you can always contact us for further information.

What is the average sentence for advance fee fraud offences?

An advance-fee fraud case is usually heard at a Crown Court. If you are found guilty and convicted, you may be given up to ten years imprisonment, given a fine or even receive both. The maximum sentence of ten years is usually given to the most serious of cases.

How does a court decide on the seriousness of the advance fee fraud offence for sentencing purposes?

It’s important to note that the information that is given to judges with regards to sentencing are only guidelines, and each case will be looked at individually. One of the factors judges consider in every case of this nature is the defendant’s level of genuine remorse, the seriousness of the crime and the amount of harm caused.

The following factors are also considered when the court decides which sentence to give. The court will look at:

• Your previous conviction
• The number of victims involved
• The amount of money involved
• Whether there was a forgery or identity fraud used to secure more funds

What are some of the mitigating factors that might reduce the advance fee fraud sentence?

Certain aspects of a case are known as the mitigating aspects which can influence the sentence that a judge gives. In advance fee fraud cases, they may include:

• Whether the defendant is disabled or mentally ill
• The age of the defendant, i.e. if they are particularly young, their age may affect their level of responsibility
• If there are previous, relevant or recent convictions
• Suspect shows a considerable degree of genuine remorse
• If you are considered to have previous good character with exemplary conduct
• If there is a learning disability or mental disorder linked to this offence
• There have been demonstrative steps made to address this behaviour

Is it possible to reduce a sentence for advance fee fraud with a guilty plea?

In recent years, several changes have been made to the sentencing system in the UK to save the court time and cost in addition to giving protection to witnesses from the stress of needlessly going through a trial. For offenders aged 18 and over, pleading guilty early on in a case can reduce a sentence by as much as one third (maximum). The later the plea is entered, the smaller the reduction.

‘Early on’ refers to ‘the first stage of the proceedings’ and means anytime up to and including the first hearing at the Magistrates Court or Crown Court for indictable offences.

If a plea is entered 14 days after the first hearing, for example, the maximum level of reduction is just 20% or one-fifth of the sentence. For indictable offences, the limit for a guilty plea to be made is within 28 days after the prosecutor has stated compliance with section 3 of CPIA 1996 and serving disclosure; although the decision is ultimately in the hands of the Judge who has discretion to apply whatever credit is deemed appropriate.

After these times, there is a sliding scale of credit applied. This scale goes down to one-tenth on the first day of the trial and to zero if entered during the course of the trial. In theory, the ten per cent could be given if the plea is entered after the opening speeches on the first day, but prior to any witness evidence being heard.

If the accused does not want to plead guilty, then it’s essential for the solicitor to regularly inform the court throughout the trial of the reasons why the client’s plea is not guilty.

What are some of the other consequences of an advance fee fraud offence?

Ancillary Orders

A court can also make ancillary orders on a defendant if they are found guilty and convicted of an advance fee fraud offence. These are extra elements of punishment that can be added to a sentence and include additional restrictions or requirements that can affect a dependent’s finances, your property or business or financial activity.

Ancillary orders that are typically added to the penalty for those who are found to be guilty of advance fee fraud include:

• Compensation for loss
• Restraint orders
• Reparation orders
• Financial reporting order
• Disqualification from directing a company
• Confiscation orders
• Victims’ surcharge

As part of your investigation, you may also have your assets frozen with the possibility of having cash or other assets seized.

In addition, the court may demand payment of the following if the accused is convicted:

Payment of costs applied for by the prosecutors

Although the police meet some of the costs involved in the prosecution, the costs of investigation are typically sought from the convicted. These may include the charges of:

• The work performed in obtaining enough evidence for trial either at the initial stage or later at the request of Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)
• Seeking medical or expert testimony as part of the investigation, (where a witness is required to attend Court, the cost of the attendance falls on the CPS).
• The re-interviewing of witnesses
• The entire costs of the prosecutor, including fees for the use of external Barristers used by the CPS, can be recovered from the defendant, subject to means. At the end of the case, the prosecutor under The Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 will request the Judge to order a sum to be paid for the costs incurred by the prosecutor in bringing the prosecution.

Victims surcharges

The term victims’ surcharges can be explained as paying compensation to a fund for victims and can range between £20 to £170 depending on what sentence you were given at conviction.

How sentences can be added to national information databases

There are several national databases that hold information about individuals and any allegations made about them, their criminal and court records. These include the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) which was previously known as the CRB (Criminal Record Bureau) and the Police National Computer (PNC).  Depending on what happened, whether the accused is convicted and what sentence was issued, the accused may be added to one or all these databases. Their purpose is to provide information to potential employers and to regulate the ability to take part in certain activities.

If your case progresses to court and you are convicted of advance fee fraud, your conviction will be noted on your CRB / police record. The period of the endorsement will depend on the nature and length of your sentence.

Below are details on how long you will be listed as holding a criminal record if convicted. This is something very serious to consider when it comes to future employment. The term ‘spent’ refers to when your name can be removed from the databases.

Have you been arrested or charged with advance fee fraud?

If you’ve been contacted by the police and arrested, charged or even just invited to the police station for a chat, it’s vital that you seek legal guidance immediately. Communicating in any way with the police without legal support can put you at significant risk of being given a term in prison.

The primary goal of the police is to secure convictions. They do this by trying a range of different approaches and techniques in a bid to get you to incriminate yourself. They will not disclose all the evidence that they have against you and are going to use as part of their prosecution.

Some evidence is likely to be withheld from your knowledge or vision, but by having an experienced advance fee fraud legal expert by your side, you can give yourself some protection against the police and their tactics.

Another benefit of engaging competent and experienced advance fee fraud lawyers is that they can provide you with guidance on what to say and what not to say. The police will ask you many questions, and this can be gruelling and exhausting. With a legal professional by your side, you can answer confidently, knowing that you’re not getting yourself into deeper and hotter water.

Your solicitor can immediately begin to create a robust defence strategy to secure you the best possible outcome should your case reach court. Alternatively, your solicitor may even be able to get your case dismissed before it reaches the court stage.

If there are other people involved who have been accused and are involved in your case, it’s critical that you know what’s being said by whom. Accessing this information isn’t always possible, but there is a good chance that your lawyer will be able to make contact with the other legal help involved in this case to minimise damage.

How Can Stuart Miller Solicitors Help?

We handle advance fee fraud cases regularly and have deep expertise in this field. We can help you by recommending the best course of action to take to mitigate the outcome. No matter what size your case is, get in touch.

Our specialist advance fee fraud solicitors have expertise and skill defending allegations of fraud. We have acted for clients suggested to have received millions of pounds advance payments in return for promises of securing goods and services. We understand the likelihood of police intervention destroying the business-plan and restricting the continuance of the proposed project.

One such case in which early intervention and practical advice led to a successful result is described in our Notable Case section and titled ‘Advance Fee Fraud – RvK £126 Million Fraud Case Dropped’.

How can our advance fee fraud solicitors help?

Regardless of the allegation or the extent of the alleged fraud, you will find our fraud solicitors dedicated to achieving the best possible result in your case. We seek to engage very early and take any steps reasonable to prevent the investigation from reaching the Court. If matters are prosecuted, we have the commercial awareness to understand the business concepts and proposals in the case. The critical issue in an advance fee fraud case is often the intention and expectation of the parties. Whether the monies paid were spent on furthering the agreed objective or for some other purpose and whether in fact, there was a genuine intention to advance the business proposal or investment scheme pitched.

What will our advance fee fraud solicitors do?

If promises are made, it is for the prosecution to prove by producing evidence of the promise. It is not for the defence to prove that the promise of unrealistic expectation wasn’t made! In doing so, the prosecution will inevitably rely on evidence extracted from mobile phones and computers. Our fraud solicitors have access to some of the best forensic experts, computer analysts and financial examiners in the UK who can be called in to provide supporting evidence.

A fundamental part of the case will be revealed from the records kept by you. We will not only analyse these records meticulously, but we will also continue to explore the evidence to collect, retain and present any materials which will support your defence case; including obtaining witness statements from witnesses in the UK or abroad.

We will instruct barristers and QCs whom we know have first-class experience and knowledge in defending fraud cases and those barristers who will deliver their best performance in and out of the Court.

Our fraud solicitors have immense experience defending advance fee fraud cases. We are not only knowledgeable and experienced with the Fraud Act 2006 but also with the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 which will present money laundering, restraint order and then confiscation issues.

When should you discuss your case with an expert advance fee fraud solicitor?

In any legal case, early action is pivotal to increasing the chances of success. In cases of this nature, you will require specialist advice at every step. If you have been served with a Restraint Order, you have had cash seized or your money confiscated; rest assured our fraud lawyers will advise you on all aspects of the fraud investigation or prosecution.

Would you like to discuss your case before instructing us?

If you’d like to have a no-obligation chat with us before you instruct us to take your case, then call us today.  In addition to giving you a free consultation, we can also represent you at the police station if you’ve been arrested. We can look at securing your legal aid.

Please Contact Us and ask to speak to our advance fee fraud lawyers and fraud offences solicitors to arrange a meeting in person, online or by telephone. If you prefer, you can WhatsApp us from the link you will find at the bottom banner if you open this page on your mobile phone device.

Get in touch with us now for advance fee fraud legal help.