Overview
The victim expects a windfall of money from an inheritance.
How It Works
The scammer, usually impersonating a law firm or government official, claims that the victim is the beneficiary of an inheritance left by a distant relative.
The scammer says that for a small fee, the victim can receive information about the inheritance or the inheritance itself, which in reality does not exist.
Sometimes the scammer claims that the victim is the beneficiary of a life insurance policy left by the deceased person, and asks the victim to pay a small fee associated with transferring the policy.
This scam can also be used as the money extraction ruse in a romance scam.
Related Articles
Inheritance Scams, AARP
How to Recognize and Avoid Beneficiary Scams, Western Union
Synthetic Examples
4.3 Sample Data 1 - count: 500. With fake phone numbers and urls
4.3 Sample Data 2 - count: 271. With fake phone numbers and urls
4.3 Sample Data 3 - count: 374. Similar to Sample Data 2 but with more records and [url] and [phone]
Related Scams
8.1 Romance/Sweetheart Scam: Some romance scammers use the inheritance lie with their victims. They claim that they have inherited money but just need a loan from the victim in order to pay for the transfer.
5.2 Debt Collection Scam: The Obituary Scam is a type of debt collection scam that preys on the legitimate heirs of a deceased person. In this scam, the fraudster claims that the deceased person died owing money which the surviving relatives (victims) must pay.
Related Crime Schemes
A particular instance of this scam may embed one or more of these related schemes.
Advance Fee Scheme: In an advance fee scheme, the scammer asks for a small upfront fee in advance of providing a larger payout later. In reality, the larger payout never arrives.
Victim Targeting Context
The scammer may use one or more of the following techniques to reach the victim.
Spray and Pray / Scattered: The scammer approaches many victims at once such as through bulk email or SMS.
Social Engineering: Psychological Manipulations
The scammer may use one or more of these psychological techniques to accomplish the scam.
Easy money: The scammer promises easy money or makes appeals designed to leverage victim's greed.
Family: The scammer uses the victim's family members in the scheme, or implies the victim's family members are involved.
Romance: The scammer promises love or friendship to victim.
Social Engineering: Impersonation Techniques
The scammer may impersonate one or more of the following groups as part of the scam.
Business or NonProfit: The scammer impersonates a business or nonprofit.
Government Official: The perpetrator impersonates a government official.