Inheritance Scams: How to Spot One of These Scams

Many of us dream of the good life brought to us by an unexpected windfall. And for some, getting that fabled call, letter from a lawyer, or email saying a rich relative has passed and left us money is tantamount to winning the lottery. We believe a sudden influx of liquid capital will change everything. But those dreams, hopes, and expectations are exactly what scammers and con artists bank on.

We don’t want to believe that the letters and calls are fake. It goes against the plans we have already made to use the new wealth. So, we open ourselves up to those who would take advantage of these big dreams. And the inheritance process scam is underway. Before we know it, the money is gone, and we are left wondering what happened.

It’s time to protect yourself. Money can make us foolish. The right knowledge and tools can tip the scales in our favor, stopping scammers before they get a dime.

The Beginning of The Inheritance Scam

It all begins with a death. A relative or friend has designated certain parties to receive benefits in the event of their passing. Lawyers have the deceased person’s will and have sent communications to those who will profit from the estate and holdings. And you are to get the biggest piece of the proverbial pie.

The problem with this is it is all a lie. No one has died. The call you received, the certified letter, is of someone you have never heard of. An obscure relation from deep in your family tree. They tell you they have been searching for a relative to receive holdings from the deceased party, usually posing as a lawyer.

You may have checked and found that the law firm is real. They even photoshopped some official letterheads to sell the narrative. Perhaps you know someone who was contacted by a probate lawyer and did get some money from a distant relative and consider this might be the case in your situation.  So, how do you know if it is legit or a total con?

The devil is in the details.

The Cost of Doing Business

One of the classic scams is to ask you for a fee to process your probate filing. They will request a reasonable amount to begin the paperwork, but you have to send it to them from the bank. No credit cards or money orders are allowed for this scam to work. The bank transaction gives them enough information to bleed your accounts dry and the details they need are easy to acquire.

Most of us have an online footprint and rarely are protected from casual searches. Privacy is a thing of the past thanks to social media. And all a scammer needs to get at your money, change your account data, and even create new identities in your name is as simple as knowing the answers to your chosen test questions created when you sign up for your initial account. Mother’s maiden name is very common.

If a “lawyer” asks you for a processing fee, don’t pay it. If you do pay it and they ask for an account and routing information, call the police. These are your two biggest red flags. Don’t let greed or lofty dreams push aside the good judgment.

Other Red Flags

Long cons are well thought-out but ultimately are driven by sociopathic greed. This is even more true with shorter scams such as the inheritance scam. These scammers want to get paid quickly and move on to the next. Because of this, they are prone to make simple blunders that, if you are paying attention, can be the difference between catching them in the act or being taken for a ride to the poorhouse.

Look at the letter you received. Study it. Does it have grammatical errors, typos, or missing items like punctuation? While these errors can be a beacon to run, they are not always unintended. Those who miss the odd misspelling and call the “lawyer” have told the scammer that they are ripe for the picking. The folk that does catch it are too much effort and scammers will likely move on to a lesser target.

Scammers love the clueless. Letters are the best way to weed out those who are too perceptive to be easy marks.

Next Step in Preventing Scams

For the perceptive group, the first thing to do is ignore the letter and throw it away. If you respond, they know you are at least partially hooked, and more letters, more enticements, will follow. If you respond to an email, it sends the same message. And it gives them computer info including your IP address. A valid IP is all some scammers need to siphon even more personal info.

This is a real problem if you do a lot of shopping online, you access your bank account on the bank’s website, and any saved transaction histories will be fair game. If you notice anything untoward in your financial sphere, contact law enforcement that handles cybercrimes. The Internet Crime Complaint Center was started for such a purpose.

Conclusion

If you think you are the target of an inheritance scam, the best way of making sure whether or not someone is a scammer is to closely examine the information that the person has given you. The easiest way of doing this is by running a reverse image search. Use the search bar below to run your first search today.