Rockville police warn of fake inheritance scam

ROCKVILLE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The Rockville Police Department is warning the public about a scam that attempts to trick people into believing they have been named the beneficiary of a large life insurance policy or inheritance, resulting in the scammer obtaining your personal information or money.

According to a social media post from the Rockville Police Department, the scam involves individuals receiving a letter from a fake law firm that claims a deceased individual with a large life insurance policy or inheritance has named the recipient of the letter as a beneficiary.

The letter suggests that since no heir has come forward, the recipient can claim the inheritance by working with the so-called law firm.

However, the scammer will tell recipients they have to split the money with law firm and potentially a charity.

Once the recipient replies, the scammer will pose as a lawyer and attempt to gather personal information such as Social Security numbers, bank account information or money, claiming it is for legal fees and taxes.

The police department says the life insurance policy or inheritance is non-existent and entirely fabricated by the scammer.

They add that if you do receive one of these letters, do not respond to it, shred the letter, avoid any contact with the scammer and report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission. You can also file a report with your local law enforcement agency and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

The Rockville Police Department shared these tips to help recognize the scam:

• Offers that sound too good to be true: Be wary of unexpected letters promising a large inheritance from someone you’ve never heard of.
• Unprofessional communication: Look for typos, grammatical errors, and generic email addresses (like Gmail) in the letter. Legitimate law firms usually maintain a high level of professionalism.
• Requests for upfront payments: Legitimate inheritances don’t require the beneficiary to pay upfront fees out of pocket.
• Pressure to act quickly: Scammers often create a false sense of urgency to prevent you from researching or questioning the legitimacy of the offer.