BBB warns of inheritance scam letters circulating across North America

KBSI FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

ST. LOUIS, Mo., (KBSI) — If you receive a letter claiming a long-lost relative has left you a multimillion-dollar inheritance, don’t start counting your money just yet.

The Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) says consumers across the United States and Canada have reported receiving fraudulent letters alleging to be from an Ottawa, Ontario, law firm. In mid-September alone, nearly 100 reports were filed from residents in 30 states and one Canadian province.

The letters often claim the recipient shares a surname with a deceased client who left behind a life insurance policy worth more than $10.8 million. The documents promise the inheritance will be divided between the supposed law firm, the recipient, and charity — all with “no risk” to the recipient.

The law firm whose name and address are being used has posted a disclaimer on its website warning about the scam. Multiple lawyer names have been falsely associated with the scheme, according to BBB.

So far, BBB says no financial losses have been reported.

BBB tips for avoiding inheritance scams include:

Research the business or lawyer named in the letter. Scammers often impersonate real companies.

Watch for red flags like typos, vague wording, or the use of free email domains such as Gmail or Yahoo.

Never share personal or banking information. Legitimate estates already have this information.

Do not pay upfront fees; real legal costs come out of the estate.

Report suspicious letters to the BBB Scam Tracker and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

For more information or to report a scam, visit BBB Scam Tracker.