My parents recently got a letter from a supposed ‘law firm’ in Canada saying a relative we never heard of died six years ago, and because no one was in his will, we’re eligible to collect his life insurance policy for 10 million dollars. Of course, there’s no record of this company online, and even though the address exists, there’s no law firm there. They seem to be targeting older people. What’s the best way to report something like this? Any advice would be helpful.
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Sounds like the classic advance fee scam, a bit like the old ‘Nigerian Prince’ ones. They make it look like you’re getting a big amount of money, but then they start asking you to pay for ‘fees’ or ‘taxes’ to get it, and just keep taking your money as long as you keep paying.
@EmmanuelBrown
Here’s some info on the advance-fee scam:
It happens in different ways – investment offers, money transfers, job scams, online purchases, and more. But it always ends with you paying to supposedly receive something valuable, and then you get nothing. The scammer might just take your first payment and disappear, or they’ll keep asking for more, saying it’s necessary to get your ‘prize.’
If you find yourself in this kind of scam, try to dispute or get a chargeback on any money you’ve sent, then block the scammer and ignore them if they reach out again.
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@EmmanuelBrown
Thanks for explaining! Thankfully, my parents didn’t give them any info, but I’d love to know if there’s a way to report it to help prevent them from scamming other older people.
Davis said:
@EmmanuelBrown
Thanks for explaining! Thankfully, my parents didn’t give them any info, but I’d love to know if there’s a way to report it to help prevent them from scamming other older people.
You can check the resources section on the forum sidebar for reporting options in your country.
Not much you can do about it, unfortunately. Do they have any contact info like a phone number, email, or website?
Vincent said:
Not much you can do about it, unfortunately. Do they have any contact info like a phone number, email, or website?
They included an email and phone number.
Vincent said:
Not much you can do about it, unfortunately. Do they have any contact info like a phone number, email, or website?
They included an email and phone number.
Is the email from Gmail or something similar?
@Vincent
Nope, it was actually the law firm’s domain name. They have a website and everything, but it looks like it’s all stock photos and no real info on the people working there or any reviews.
You could report the website to the domain registrar after doing a whois search on it. Beyond that, there isn’t much else you can do.
You should report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) and maybe even the local police where your parents live.
Does the letter mention your last name like Smith, saying you’re a relative? I bet they’re just picking common names like Smith, Brown, or Jones. We keep getting faxes at work for ‘Smith’ with the same type of scam. So annoying! That’s why our shredder stays right by the fax machine.