Trading Standards are reminding residents to be on the look out for an inheritance fraud scam which has already targeted a number of people in the County. The scam involves a letter which claims to come from a private investment manager from China. They tell you that a person sharing your family name has died and left behind money. None of the deceased person’s relatives have claimed the inheritance and as a result, the money will go to the government. The investment manager suggests that, because you share the same family name as the deceased, you could work together to legally secure the money in full compliance with the laws of China. However, there is no inheritance and the person contacting you isn’t an investment manager or legal official. If you respond to the fraudsters, they’ll ask you to pay various fees - for example: taxes, legal fees, banking fees etc - so they can release your non-existent inheritance. The letters have an email contact which is a yahoo.hk address with Chinese lettering above it. If you receive one of these letters please report it as a fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or telephone 0300 123 2040. Please look out for vulnerable relatives or friends and warn them of this scam. For general advice please contact Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 08454 040506 or visit adviceguide.org.uk Follow us on twitter at twitter/cumbriats
Posted on: Mon, 01 Jul 2013 21:33:43 +0000
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