Advance Fee Scams on Viber
How advance-fee fraudsters use Viber's free international messaging to target victims across borders with inheritance, lottery, and business-opportunity pretexts.
Part of: Advance Fee Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Viber's popularity in Eastern Europe, South Asia, and parts of Africa means scammers can reach targets in multiple jurisdictions at negligible cost. Advance-fee fraud operations have migrated to the platform because it provides a more personal feel than email — messages appear in the same interface as family and friend conversations, lending them an intimacy that lowers defences.
The free international call feature is particularly exploited: a scammer can follow up a text solicitation with a voice call that sounds local, reinforcing the credibility of a claim to be a lawyer, bank official, or government representative.
How this scam works on Viber
A Viber message arrives from an unknown number, presenting a detailed scenario: the sender is a bank officer or legal representative overseeing an unclaimed estate, a foreign lottery organisation, or a business partner seeking to move a large sum out of the country. The recipient is identified as a suitable beneficiary or business associate based on fabricated criteria.
Initial exchanges establish a backstory and build excitement about the prospective windfall. Requests for modest upfront payments are introduced incrementally — legal fees, bank-transfer taxes, courier charges for documents, or regulatory clearances. Each payment unlocks a new obstacle rather than releasing the promised funds, and the amounts requested gradually escalate.
Voice calls are interspersed with text messages to reinforce the illusion of a real business relationship and to prevent the victim from consulting others who might recognise the pattern.
Common red flags
- Unsolicited Viber message from an unknown international number announcing a financial windfall
- Elaborate backstory requiring upfront fees to release funds or claim a prize
- Each payment resolves one problem only to reveal a new fee requirement
- Requests for confidentiality: told not to discuss with family or a financial adviser
- Poor grammar or inconsistencies in official-looking documents shared during the correspondence
- The correspondent becomes defensive or threatening if the victim hesitates or questions the process
How to protect yourself
- Treat any unsolicited Viber message announcing a windfall as fraudulent by default
- Recognise that legitimate inheritances, prizes, and business transactions never require a recipient to pay fees upfront
- Do not allow the promise of large returns to justify small payments — each small fee is the actual theft mechanism
- Consult a trusted friend or adviser before engaging with any unusual financial proposal received via messaging app
- Block and report the number promptly if requests for payment arise
How to report it
- Block and report the Viber number using the in-app block and report options on the contact screen
- Report to your national consumer protection or fraud reporting body with screenshots of the conversation
- If money was transferred, contact your bank immediately and provide all evidence for investigation
Frequently asked questions
The person on Viber sent me an official-looking document about my inheritance — doesn't that prove it's real?
No — documents like bank letters, legal certificates, or government seals are easy to fabricate with basic design software, and scammers rely on them specifically to overcome scepticism. Genuine inheritance or legal matters are handled through licensed solicitors and official institutions, not verified by a document sent over a messaging app.
I've already paid a few small fees on Viber toward a promised payout — should I pay the next one to finally get it?
No. Each fee that unlocks a supposedly 'final' requirement is a sign the funds were never real to begin with, and paying more typically leads to another demand rather than resolution. Stop all payments now, and treat what you've already paid as a loss to report rather than an investment worth protecting by continuing.
Can I trace or identify who is behind an anonymous Viber number running this scam?
Individual users generally can't reliably trace the real identity behind a Viber number, since these operations often use disposable or foreign-registered numbers. Law enforcement and cybercrime units have tools and legal channels individuals don't, so reporting with full screenshots is far more effective than trying to investigate it yourself.
Why do advance-fee scammers use Viber instead of email?
Messaging platforms feel more personal and immediate than email, making the communication seem less like a mass-solicitation and more like a genuine personal contact. The free voice-call feature allows scammers to simulate local-sounding calls, adding another layer of apparent credibility.