Cyber Security Poster Project
The scammer will send the victim a convincing email or letter posing as a law firm, saying that the victim was left as the beneficiary of the estate and that if they want to claim the inheritance, they'll have to pay the law firm an upfront fee to cover the legal fees or taxes.
How to avoid becoming a victim of a beneficiary scam?
If you think a fraudster is contacting you, look for these signs:
* There are typos and/or grammatical errors in the email or letter. A real law firm maintains professionalism by avoiding these types of errors.
* The scammer uses a public domain email address. Law firms have their own email addresses. If someone is contacting you from a Gmail email address, they’re likely not a lawyer.
* You can’t find any information about the law firm or lawyer online. If you can’t find any information about the alleged lawyer online, they’re probably a fraudster.
* The deceased person is someone you’ve never heard of. While the idea of inheriting a large sum of money from someone sounds like a dream come true, it’s important to recognize red flags. Why would someone you’ve never heard of leave you money?
* The “lawyer” is asking for your personal information. When someone is leaving their estate to beneficiaries, they should have already provided the information that is necessary to receive their inheritance when they pass away.
* The “lawyer” asks for money upfront. When you receive an inheritance, money is deducted from the estate to pay the legal fees. You normally don’t have to pay out-of-pocket to get your inheritance money.
