Advance-Fee Scams via bKash
How inheritance, lottery, and aid-fund fraudsters in Bangladesh and the diaspora use bKash to collect processing fees.
Part of: Advance Fee Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Advance-fee fraud — in which victims are promised a large sum contingent on paying a series of small processing fees — has adapted seamlessly to mobile money in Bangladesh. bKash is used because it is ubiquitous, instant, and because fraudsters can operate with only a SIM card and a smartphone, lowering the barriers to entry dramatically.
Victims are typically contacted by SMS, Facebook Messenger, or email, claiming they have won a lottery, inherited property from a distant relative, or are entitled to a government or NGO grant. Each fee payment is framed as the last one required before the larger sum is released.
How this scam works on bKash
The victim receives a message explaining that a substantial sum — [amount] taka, a foreign remittance, or a prize — is held on their behalf and requires only a small bKash transfer to cover documentation, customs, or banking fees. After the first payment, a new fee emerges: a government clearance charge, a legal processing fee, or a foreign exchange conversion cost.
The perpetrator often impersonates a government official, bank representative, or NGO worker, using WhatsApp profile photos of real institutions and official-sounding language. The fraud can run for months, with victims paying many times before accepting the loss.
Common red flags
- Unsolicited SMS or message claiming you have won a prize or inherited money you were unaware of
- Any fee requirement before a promised large sum can be released
- Official-sounding sender using a personal bKash number rather than a verified institution
- Urgency framing: 'Your claim expires in [X] hours' or 'The funds will be returned if not claimed'
- Each payment unlocks the next fee rather than releasing the promised sum
- Request for identity documents in addition to money — used for identity theft
How to protect yourself
- No legitimate lottery, government scheme, or inheritance requires the beneficiary to pay fees in advance
- Verify any claim through the institution's official telephone number, not a number provided in the message
- Do not share your bKash PIN, NID number, or bank details with anyone requesting them by message
- Ask a trusted person — family member, teacher, or community leader — to review any such offer before acting
- If you have already paid, stop immediately — additional payments will not unlock any real funds
How to report it
- Call bKash customer care at 16247 to report the number and provide your transaction reference
- File a report with Bangladesh Police's Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit
- Report the SMS or message to your telecom operator's spam reporting service
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if I have already paid multiple fees and the promised money has not arrived?
Stop all further payments immediately. Each additional payment funds the scammer and will not unlock any real sum. Document all transactions and report to bKash and law enforcement. Be especially cautious of 'recovery' agents who promise to retrieve your lost funds for a fee — these are almost always secondary scams targeting the same victims.