Advance-Fee Scams in Chile
Classic advance-fee fraud reaches Chilean victims through email, WhatsApp, and social media, promising inheritances, prizes, or business deals contingent on an upfront payment.
Part of: Advance Fee Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Advance-fee scams — the so-called '419' fraud — remain active in Chile despite being decades old. They have evolved beyond email to operate via WhatsApp messages in Chilean Spanish, Facebook Messenger, and even LinkedIn, where business-oriented pitches are more credible.
Chilean targets receive messages claiming they are beneficiaries of an inheritance, lottery, or business contract originating from another country. Releasing the funds requires a modest fee — often framed as a notarial charge or customs clearance — paid upfront. Once paid, further fees are demanded until the victim withdraws.
How this scam works on Chile
A typical modern variant tells a Chilean professional that a foreign company wants to use Chile as a distribution hub and must wire millions of dollars through a local account for tax reasons; the victim receives a percentage for facilitating the transfer. This variant exploits Chile's reputation as a stable economy.
Other versions target social media users with fake prize notifications from supermarkets or telecom companies (Entel, Movistar), directing them to claim their prize by paying a 'customs release fee' via bank transfer or crypto. Some scammers impersonate Chilean notaries or lawyers to make the fee demand appear legally grounded.
The emotional variant — a distant relative has died intestate in another country, leaving an unclaimed estate — is distributed via email lists harvested from data breaches.
Common red flags
- Notification of a prize, inheritance, or business windfall you did not enter or initiate
- Request for a fee to 'release' the funds, described as taxes, customs, or legal charges
- Communication from a 'lawyer' or 'bank officer' using a free email provider
- Urgency framing — you must act within 24–48 hours or the opportunity lapses
- Instructions to keep the matter confidential from friends and family
- Each fee payment leads to a request for another, slightly larger fee
How to protect yourself
- Accept that no legitimate prize or inheritance requires an upfront payment to claim
- Do not respond to unsolicited emails or messages promising large sums of money
- Verify any claim of a Chilean notary or lawyer by checking the Colegio de Notarios
- Never wire money or send crypto to unknown recipients based on promises alone
- Warn elderly relatives who may be more susceptible to the inheritance or prize variants
- Block and report the sender immediately after identifying the scam
How to report it
- Report to the PDI BRICIB at pdichile.cl, providing all email or chat correspondence
- Forward phishing emails to the CSIRT Chile at csirt.gob.cl
- Notify your bank if you have already transferred funds to attempt a recall
Frequently asked questions
Can advance-fee scammers be prosecuted in Chile?
When scammers operate from within Chile, the PDI can pursue charges of estafa under the Código Penal. International scammers are harder to prosecute, but reports still help authorities identify patterns and warn the public.