Phony Inheritance Scam
There are lots of stories about people who came into an inheritance from a long-lost relative. While it does happen, it’s awfully uncommon. Anyone who receives a notification in the mail from an “estate locator” purporting to hold an unclaimed inheritance should beware. They may be one of thousands of people with the same last name targeted in mass mailings.
Recipients are lured into mailing in a fee for an estate report to explain where the inheritance is located and how it can be claimed. Everyone on the mailing list receives the same estate information. In the rare instance when someone on the mailing list actually has the right to claim the funds, the amount is often very small, and may actually be worth less than the fee paid to the promoter.
Legitimate law firms, executors of wills, and others who have been named to distribute estate funds to rightful heirs do not request the inheritor to pay a fee to find out about your share of the estate.
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