Inheritance and Next-of-Kin Scams
A lawyer says a distant relative or a stranger left you a fortune, and only a fee stands in the way. How inheritance and next-of-kin scams work and how to check a genuine claim.
The email is formal and sympathetic. A lawyer, bank officer or "estate administrator" writes that a wealthy client has died without a will, leaving millions. You share their surname, so you can be presented as next of kin. Or a distant relative you barely knew has left you a fortune. The money will be released as soon as a few legal fees are paid. It is a scam, and a very old one.
Common versions
- The unclaimed estate: a "deceased client" with your surname, and an offer to split the money if you pose as a relative.
- The unknown relative: you are told you are the beneficiary of someone you have never heard of.
- The dormant account: a bank officer claims to have found an abandoned account and needs a "foreign partner" to receive it.
- The dying donor: a sick widow or businessman wants to leave money to a charitable stranger.
How it unfolds
- An unexpected email, letter, or social media message introduces the inheritance.
- You are asked to keep it confidential and to reply with personal details.
- Official-looking documents arrive: death certificates, court papers, bank statements, lawyer credentials.
- Fees begin: probate, legal, tax, transfer, "anti-terrorism" or "clearance" certificates.
- New obstacles appear after every payment.
- A stranger contacts you about someone you do not know.
- You are asked to pretend to be a relative, which would itself be fraud.
- "100% risk-free" and a promise of millions for doing almost nothing.
- Fees will follow as soon as you reply.
Genuine estates are not released in exchange for fees paid upfront to a stranger. Legal costs in real estates are normally paid out of the estate, and you can verify the people involved independently.
How to check a genuine inheritance
- Do you actually know the person? Speak to other family members.
- Verify the lawyer or firm through the official regulator or law society register in their country, and contact them using details from that register, not the email.
- Check the court or probate record where the estate is said to be administered, where such records are public.
- Get independent advice from a lawyer you find and choose yourself.
- Refuse any upfront fee, and never send ID documents or bank details until you have independently verified everything.
If you have already replied or paid
- Stop contact and do not send anything more.
- If you paid, call your bank immediately.
- If you sent ID or bank details, alert your bank and consider a credit freeze or fraud alert where available.
- Report it through our country-by-country reporting guide.
Received an inheritance email? Paste it into CyberWatch AI Scan for a free check.
Inheritance scams are a classic advance-fee scam. A related trick uses fake charity appeals; see fake charity scams. For the full picture, read our guide to online scams.
Frequently asked questions
Could I really have an unknown inheritance?
Occasionally people do inherit from relatives they knew little about, but genuine executors and probate professionals do not ask you to pay fees upfront to release an inheritance, and you can verify them independently.
Why do they say they share my surname?
Scammers pick a 'deceased client' with your surname so you can be presented as the next of kin. They may also ask you to pose as a relative, which drags you into a fraud.
What do scammers do with my ID documents?
They can use them for identity fraud, to open accounts or loans in your name, or to make their next scam more convincing.
Sources
- How To Avoid a Scam, US Federal Trade Commission
- Hiring a Lawyer, US Federal Trade Commission
- Spot scams, UK National Cyber Security Centre
