Advance Fee Scams in Zimbabwe
How advance fee fraud targets Zimbabweans with inheritance claims, government benefit notifications, and business deal offers.
Part of: Advance Fee Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Advance fee scams in Zimbabwe exploit both domestic residents and members of the large Zimbabwean diaspora in South Africa, the UK, and beyond. Victims are promised access to large sums — from a foreign businessperson's estate, a government resettlement fund, or a mining-related payout — in exchange for a series of upfront fees that never unlock any real money.
Zimbabwe's history of land reform and economic transformation gives scammers locally plausible narratives: compensation funds, diaspora repatriation grants, and investment incentive schemes are all used as advance fee pretexts.
How this scam works on Zimbabwe
A Zimbabwean receives a message from a supposed attorney, government official, or business partner. The narrative references compensation for displaced landowners, a foreign estate left by a Zimbabwean businessperson who died without heirs, or a government fund for economic development.
The recipient is asked to pay fees for legal processing, international bank clearance, or a refundable deposit. After each payment, a new requirement emerges. Victims in the diaspora are sometimes targeted with stories designed to encourage them to bring money back to Zimbabwe — further deepening the loss.
Common red flags
- Message about a compensation fund, government grant, or inheritance from an unknown sender
- Any fee required before the funds are accessible
- Narrative references Zimbabwe's land reform history, mining revenues, or diaspora repatriation
- Representative cannot be verified through publicly accessible official records
- New fees appear after every payment
How to protect yourself
- No legitimate Zimbabwean government fund or private estate requires upfront fees from a beneficiary
- Verify any claim through official government departments using contact details found independently
- Consult a registered Zimbabwean attorney independently before paying anything
- Stop all payments at the first fee request
How to report it
- Report to the Zimbabwe Republic Police Economic Crimes Unit
- Notify the relevant government ministry if official institutions were impersonated
- Contact your bank if a transfer was made
Frequently asked questions
Are advance fee scams in Zimbabwe connected to the country's land reform history?
Scammers use locally resonant narratives to make their stories plausible. References to compensation funds for former farm owners, mining industry payments, or government development grants exploit real historical events to create believable pretexts. The use of local context does not make the offer legitimate — it is deliberate manipulation of shared history.