Advance-Fee Scams via Revolut
How inheritance and prize fraudsters target Revolut users in the UK and Europe with processing-fee demands via app-to-app transfer.
Part of: Advance Fee Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Advance-fee fraudsters have adapted their classic scripts to target Revolut's young, tech-comfortable user base in the UK and Europe. Because Revolut users are accustomed to fast, informal peer-to-peer transfers, the psychological barrier to sending a small 'processing fee' to a stranger is lower than it would be with a traditional bank wire.
Fraudsters use social media and dating apps to identify Revolut users, then construct a prize, inheritance, or business-opportunity narrative that requires a Revolut payment to unlock a much larger sum.
How this scam works on Revolut
A victim is contacted via Instagram, Facebook, or Bumble with a story about an inheritance they are entitled to or a prize fund they have been selected for. A small Revolut transfer is required to cover a legal registration fee, an international clearance charge, or a beneficiary verification cost. The @username or Revolut.me link is provided for convenience.
After each payment, a new administrative fee appears. The promised sum is described in increasingly large and concrete terms to maintain motivation. The scammer may provide fabricated documentation — solicitor letters, inheritance certificates — to reinforce the narrative. The promised funds never arrive.
Common red flags
- Unexpected inheritance, prize, or business share notified through social media or a dating app
- Revolut transfer requested to cover legal, customs, or tax fees before release of the larger sum
- Each Revolut payment resolves one barrier while creating the next
- Documentation is provided by email from a free domain address (gmail, yahoo) rather than a verified law firm
- Instruction not to mention the transaction to a bank representative or family member
- Urgency framing: offer expires within 48 hours or funds will be reallocated
How to protect yourself
- No legitimate inheritance, prize, or business-opportunity disbursal requires advance Revolut payments
- Verify any claimed legal entity through Companies House (UK) or equivalent national registry
- Contact a genuine solicitor independently before acting on any inheritance notification
- Report the Revolut payment request to Revolut's in-app fraud report before sending anything
- Discuss any such notification with a trusted family member or financial adviser
How to report it
- Report the Revolut account at revolut.com/help or through the in-app help feature
- File with Action Fraud (UK) at actionfraud.police.uk with all communication and payment records
- Report the social-media account that initiated contact to the relevant platform's abuse team
Frequently asked questions
Can I recover Revolut funds sent to an advance-fee scammer?
Report immediately through the Revolut app using the 'Report a payment' function. If the recipient has not yet withdrawn the funds, Revolut may be able to freeze the account. Under the UK PSR's mandatory APP reimbursement scheme, victims of advance-fee fraud may be eligible for reimbursement — raise the dispute with Revolut and file with Action Fraud to preserve your eligibility.