Of course, I have heard of these fake win notifications being generated from Nigeria. But when I received a notice from Italy that a relative with my last name had died and left me an inheritance, he intrigued me. They had my last name and email correct. I suppose it was possible that he had a long-lost relative named Giuseppina Loschiavo, although I had never heard of her. The letter told me that a large sum of money had been left to me and that all I had to do was contact the sender. Visions of vacationing in my own Italian villa floated through my mind. The sender’s reply email seemed official, like some kind of law firm in Florence. When I showed the email to my family, they shook their heads sadly. Don’t be fooled, they told me. is a gotcha
Damned! Goodbye vacation villa.
Fake lottery, sweepstakes and inheritance notifications are among the most successful scams in history. We can thank the World Wide Web for this success. Consumers receive a notice that they have won a lottery, a prize, or have money from a deceased family member waiting for them. Typically, the consumer has never heard of the contest or relative. But, it sounds plausible. Just maybe it’s true. That thought is what scammers count on.
In the long lost relative scam, the scheme requires a small payment for ‘processing’ or ‘taxes’ or ‘currency conversion’. The writer often claims that he occupies a high-ranking position. The foreign ‘lawyers’ advise the heir to keep the inheritance secret to protect the money from the Internal Revenue Service. They then request bank account information to facilitate sending the alleged money and may request a ‘good faith’ payment in advance. The ultimate goal is to get these advance fees and personal financial information is a bonus for these scammers.
Chances are, if you’ve never heard of a relative abroad, they don’t exist. Even if he has unknown relatives, the chances of them wanting to leave him an inheritance are slim to none. If he receives one of these emails or letters, delete or shred it as quickly as he can.
Red flags to watch out for:
- Beware of wire transfer or mail-in requests to cover administrative fees, taxes or legal expenses related to processing ‘your earnings’ or ‘your inheritance’.
- Beware of any attempts to pressure or threaten you into sending money right away or you will lose the money.
- Beware of requests for bank account information so your prize/money can be deposited directly into your account.
- If you have lost money, report it immediately. Mail victims should contact the US Postal Service. Others should contact their state Attorney General’s office.
- Once you have been the victim of a scam, you will definitely be the target of future scams.