Scam Watch
- Share via
The pitch: The State Department has verified that you are due an inheritance!
The scam: The e-mail looks as if it comes from the State Department and includes official regulatory information concerning inheritances from foreign countries. There’s no need to contact other government officials, the e-mail says. The only requirement is the payment of fees to cover currency conversion and taxes.
The reality: The State Department has issued an alert about these scam e-mails, warning that it never makes unsolicited contact with individuals concerning matters such as inheritances. The request to not contact other officials is cropping up increasingly in online frauds. Another scam e-mail making the rounds, supposedly from the Bank of England, also promises a large payment and warns: “You are hereby adviced to stop further communication with the so-called government officials.” Yeah, because they might point out the spelling errors.
Info: The State Department warning is at www.ic3.gov/media/2007/071214.htm.
An agency brochure on inheritance and other scams is at travel.state.gov/pdf/international_financial_scams_brochure.pdf.
Sign up for The Wild
We’ll help you find the best places to hike, bike and run, as well as the perfect silent spots for meditation and yoga.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
