What is the "Unexpected Inheritance Scam"?

The Scam: You are contacted and advised you are the beneficiary to an inheritance of a foreign individual. After some correspondence and official-looking documents, you are sent a check along with instructions to wire the funds to a third party so they can open account for the rest of the inheritance. The reason for this, they claim, is to circumvent the Patriot Act, which prevents them from transferring funds from a foreign country. (This is not true.)

How it Works: Once you have deposited the check and wired the money (to the scammer) the check may take several days to be returned as a counterfeit. Unfortunately, if you have already wired the funds, you will suffer the loss.

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