How can you tell if an inheritance letter is real?
First, the letter appears to come from a law firm. If you do a search online, you’ll find out the firm really does exist. The scammers use letterhead and the name of a law firm to make their message more authentic. The second issue is that probate attorneys do often search for missing relatives when someone dies.
How do inheritance scams work?
Inheritance scams are one type of advance fee scam where the victim is asked for money before they can collect the money. Usually a letter or email is sent to a group of people with the same last name, or those on a list of email addresses purchased by the scammers.
Can someone steal your inheritance?
Inheritance can be stolen by an executor, administrator, or a beneficiary, such as a sibling. It can also be stolen by someone who is not a family member, or a person completely unrelated to the estate.
How do I protect myself from inheritance scams?
Protect yourself Seek advice from an independent professional such as a lawyer, accountant or financial planner if in doubt. Do an internet search using the names, contact details or exact wording of the letter/email to check for any references to a scam – many scams can be identified this way.
How do I report an inheritance letter sample?
You can also officially report the scammers or any type of inheritance letter sample to the Federal Trade Commission using the link below: If you want to be the first to find out the most notorious scams every week, feel free to subscribe to the Scam Detector newsletter here.
Is it possible to be scammed by an inheritance solicitor?
It is possible to be contacted by a law firm if a distant relative passes away and leaves an estate. However, in the case of an inheritance scam, everything is made up with the goal of scamming you out of money. Another way that scammers make their emails look legitimate is by having your information.
How can you tell if an inheritance offer is legit?
The offer looks convincing and may use official-looking letterhead and logos, but will usually contain spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. The size of the supposed inheritance may be very large, sometimes many millions of dollars.
Can You claim an inheritance if there is no will?
Sometimes the scammer will say you are legally entitled to claim the inheritance. Alternatively, they might say that an unrelated wealthy person has died without a will, and that you can inherit their fortune through some legal trickery because you share the same last name.