Advance-Fee Scams in Serbia
Advance-fee fraud in Serbia combines classic inheritance and lottery narratives with business-opportunity schemes targeting Serbia's entrepreneurial community.
Part of: Advance Fee Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Advance-fee fraud has a long presence in Serbia, evolving from classic email-based '419' letters to more sophisticated social-media and Viber-based schemes. Today's advance-fee scams targeting Serbia mix fabricated inheritance claims with business-contract offers, government-subsidy windfalls, and EU-grant disbursements, with narratives adapted to Serbia's EU accession aspirations and growing private sector.
The scams are particularly effective against business owners seeking contracts, EU subsidies, or export opportunities who encounter seemingly official-looking offers requiring small upfront processing fees.
How this scam works on Serbia
Business owners receive messages claiming that a foreign company wishes to partner with a Serbian firm on a lucrative export contract, but a due-diligence fee or compliance deposit must be paid first. For private individuals, a lawyer, banker, or official contact claims that a large sum is trapped in a Serbian bank account and the victim can receive a share for a small administrative fee.
EU grant impersonations are common in the current pre-accession environment, with fake communications claiming that Serbian businesses have been selected for an EU enterprise development grant that requires a registration fee to activate.
All share the same structure: an upfront fee followed by escalating further fees, and no genuine payment ever materialises.
Common red flags
- An unsolicited business opportunity or inheritance requires any upfront fee.
- EU grant notifications arrive through personal email rather than official Serbian government or EU portals.
- The sender cannot be verified through official business registries.
- Additional fees keep appearing after each payment.
- Urgency is created to prevent the victim from conducting proper due diligence.
How to protect yourself
- Verify any claimed EU grant through official channels at euic.rs or serbia.rs.
- Check any company offering business contracts on the Serbian Business Registry Agency (APR) portal at apr.gov.rs.
- Never pay fees to receive business contracts, grants, or inheritances.
- Consult a Serbian lawyer or business adviser independently before any commitment.
- Report suspicious contract offers to the Serbian Chamber of Commerce.
How to report it
- Report to the Serbian Ministry of Interior cybercrime department.
- Notify the Serbian Chamber of Commerce if business impersonation is involved.
- Report EU grant impersonation to the EU Delegation to Serbia.
Frequently asked questions
Are EU grants available to Serbian businesses?
Yes — legitimate EU-funded programmes are available to Serbian businesses, but they are administered through official portals such as euic.rs and never require upfront fees paid to private individuals or unverified companies.