Advance-Fee Scams in Albania
Advance-fee fraud targets Albanian residents and diaspora with fake business grants, EU funding opportunities, and inheritance claims requiring upfront payments.
Part of: Advance Fee Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Albania's EU candidate status and active development-project pipeline provide ready pretexts for advance-fee scammers. Fake EU grant notifications, government infrastructure contract offers, and diaspora inheritance claims are among the most common pitches targeting Albanian residents and communities abroad.
The large Albanian diaspora in Italy, Greece, Germany, and the US is particularly targeted with claims of unclaimed property or estate proceeds in Albania requiring fees to transfer.
How this scam works on Albania
Albanian businesses receive fake EU grant or IPA fund notifications claiming they have been pre-approved for development funding. An administration fee must be paid to activate the grant — a fee entirely fabricated.
Government contract scams follow a similar structure: construction or service businesses receive fake tender notifications and are asked to pay a bond before the contract documentation is issued.
Diaspora variants claim that unclaimed property from inheritance or privatisation processes in Albania is being held pending notarial fees — exploiting a real phenomenon (property privatisation disputes) to make the approach seem plausible.
Common red flags
- Unsolicited EU grant notification that requires an advance fee to activate
- Government contract offered via personal email rather than official procurement portals
- Notary or law firm cannot be verified through the Albanian Chamber of Notaries or Bar Association
- Any fee presented as a prerequisite for receiving funds
- Urgency pressure — the opportunity will lapse without immediate payment
- Contact switches to personal WhatsApp or Gmail after initial formal-looking communication
How to protect yourself
- Verify all EU grant claims through the official EU Delegation to Albania or Ministry of European Integration
- Check government contracts only through official procurement portals
- Verify notaries and lawyers through their respective official Albanian chambers
- Never pay advance fees for grants, contracts, or inheritance transfers
- Take time to verify — scammers depend on urgency to prevent careful checking
How to report it
- Report to the Albanian State Police cybercrime unit
- Notify the Ministry of Justice if a notary or lawyer's identity was fraudulently used
- Alert the EU Delegation to Albania if EU funding was falsely claimed
Frequently asked questions
How do I verify a claim about unclaimed Albanian property?
Contact the Agency for the Treatment of Property (Agjencia e Trajtimit të Pronave) directly using contact details from the official government website — not details provided by the person making the claim.