Industry WIKI

An advance-fee scam is a form of fraud and is a common scam. The scam works by promising the victim a large sum of money in return for a small upfront payment, which the fraudster claims will be used to obtain the large sum. If a victim makes the payment, the fraudster either invents a series of further fees for the victim to pay or simply disappears.

In e-commerce, brushing, also called "review brushing", is a deceitful technique sometimes used to boost a seller's ratings by creating fake orders, which are either shipped to an accomplice or to an unsuspecting member of the public.