Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in New Jersey
Foreign Inheritance
I've been contacted via e:Mail by an attorney from a foreign country who said a client of his recently passed away. His client had the same surname as mine, which is a very uncommon surname. The client passed away without a will. The attorney said his staff performed an investigation, and that I was the heir of his deceased client's estate. I have no proof of the relationship. The attorney said that he would file appropriate paperwork designating me as the heir, and would appear in court to swear that I was the sole heir, as long as I agreed to split the sizeable inheritance 60/40 with him, with his portion being the 60% portion. Does this sound legal?
4 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Foreign Inheritance
This is a common internet scam. Don't even reply.
Re: Foreign Inheritance
This sounds like fraud. If the money is rightly yours it should all go to you. His sixty percent is his "fee" for lying.
Run from this "attorney."
Gary Moore, Esquire
Hackensack, New Jersey
www.garymooreattorneyatlaw.com
Re: Foreign Inheritance
It sounds very suspicious to me. I have heard of internet scams like this and would caution you to be careful here.
A 60/40 split seems unethical on it's face to me (although there are sleazy heir search firms in this country that often claim 50% of the inheritance for finding a lost heir). If you want to pursue it, you should be very careful about giving them too much information and don't pay them anything in advance.
Re: Foreign Inheritance
I agree with the other authors, that this sounds like an Internet scam and/or an attept at identity theft; the latter in particular if they have requested any of your banking information. I suggest you report this to the Federal Trade Commission.
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