Get a message about a big financial windfall from a long-lost relative? It's an inheritance scam

NIBLEY, Cache County – Utahns are receiving messages and letters about unclaimed money from a deceased relative, or at the very least, someone who shares their last name. But it's an inheritance scam aiming to steal your financial and personal info.

Mallory Bowen received such a message on the ancestry website, FamilySearch.

"It was like, 'Hey we have like a whole bunch of money for you, and we found out that you are the only person that could obtain this money," Bowen said.

The sender told her he was an accountant for a guy named Vincent Bowen. Vincent and his entire family died in a car crash in France six years ago. But he's got over 9.6 million pounds in a UK bank – that's almost $13 million. If Mallory Bowen poses as Vincent Bowen's next-of-kin, that money is hers. Sort of.

"They're like, 'We want to have half of it, but you can have the other half," Bowen said. "My question was like, 'Well, then, why can't I get the full thing? If I'm, like, the legal heir of this money, why can't I get all this money?'"

She had to act now, the man wrote. Otherwise, the government will hold onto that fortune.

Like any college student or heck, anyone, Bowen could use the $13 million. But by then, this felt scammy to her. To double check her gut, she called Matt Gephardt.

"I can trust you guys, but I can't trust these crazy people," she said, laughing.

On the rise

It's an old scam known as an inheritance scam, and it has resurfaced recently. We have heard from several viewers who've received similar inheritance letters or messages. Sometimes the sender says they're a banker or a lawyer. Sometimes, it's an unclaimed insurance policy as opposed to a big inheritance. Sometimes, the sender asks for money up-front for fees. Sometimes, they'll offer to split the fortune, with some of the money earmarked for a charity.

But that inheritance? It doesn't exist. It's a con to pry your personal info or your money out of you. Or both.

So, if a letter or message like the one Mallory Bowen got turns up in your email or in your mailbox, don't respond. It's an inheritance scam. And keep a tight grip on your info and your money.

"It was just a scam, that's all it was," she said. "I didn't give him any money, so I feel good."

How to protect your money and your identity

You should know crooks love using trusted platforms to find their targets.

In a statement, FamilySearch told us:

"FamilySearch is vigilant in protecting the patrons of its free online services and encourages them to also stay vigilant of any suspicious attempts by others trying to access personal information, either by email or online. Phishing or other malicious behavior is a violation of FamilySearch's terms of use and will result in such actors being blocked from FamilySearch."

FamilySearch says if anyone contacts you about an unexpected inheritance, block and report them.

In the chat window, click the three-dot button in the upper-right hand corner and from the menu that appears, select "Report Abuse." More information on how to block a user can be found here.

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