Someone claiming to administer a trust fund set up by my late relative wants my bank details to release funds. Should I comply?

Legitimate trusts are managed by a named trustee, often working with a solicitor or professional trust company, who distributes funds to beneficiaries according to the trust's terms, usually after formal verification of identity through documentation rather than a simple request for bank details over the phone or email. If a genuine trust exists and you are a genuine beneficiary, there will typically be a paper trail, such as being informed by the trust's solicitor or through prior knowledge from the deceased while they were alive.

Scammers invent fictional trust funds supposedly set up by a deceased relative, often a distant one whose life details are vague enough to avoid immediate scrutiny, and claim you are a named beneficiary who simply needs to provide banking details to receive the funds. This scam sometimes escalates to also requesting a small 'release fee' or 'verification deposit' before funds are supposedly transferred, none of which a legitimate trust distribution would require.

Before providing any financial information, verify independently whether the trust actually exists by asking family members familiar with the deceased's estate planning, or by contacting a solicitor to check if any trust documentation can be located and confirmed through proper legal channels.