Is it safe to pay a fee to claim an inheritance from a stranger?
Inheritance scams are a classic advance-fee fraud pattern. No legitimate inheritance process requires a fee paid to a stranger before the inheritance is released — this is always a fraud.
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
Explanation
Inheritance fraud — sometimes called advance-fee fraud or the inheritance variant of the '419 scam' — presents you with an unexpected windfall: a distant relative, a deceased stranger who shares your surname, or an unclaimed estate that you have somehow been selected to inherit. The sum described is typically large. Before the funds can be released, fees are required: legal fees, taxes, notarisation, customs, or bank transfer costs.
Every payment made is followed by a new obstacle requiring another fee. The 'inheritance' never arrives because it does not exist. The amounts requested escalate as long as the victim continues to engage. The fraud operates by making each individual fee seem small relative to the promised inheritance.
Legitimate inheritances — even those involving foreign estates or distant relatives — do not require upfront payments by the beneficiary to a solicitor they have never met, via bank transfer or Western Union, before any documentation is exchanged. Real estate lawyers are paid from the estate, not by the beneficiary in advance.
If you receive correspondence about an unexpected inheritance, it is virtually certain to be fraud. If you have any genuine reason to believe you might have a legitimate claim — an actual relative whose estate is being administered — contact a regulated solicitor in the relevant jurisdiction directly.
Common red flags
- You received unexpected correspondence about an inheritance from a stranger or distant contact
- Fees are required before any funds can be released
- The 'solicitor' or 'banker' contacts you via a personal email address rather than a law firm domain
- Each payment requirement is followed by a new obstacle and another fee
- Urgency is created — the estate will lapse, the funds will be forfeited
- The correspondence is poorly written or contains inconsistencies
What to do now
- Ignore the correspondence and do not respond
- Do not send any fee payment
- If you have already paid fees and are continuing to be contacted, seek support from your national fraud authority
- Report the correspondence to your national fraud authority
- Warn family members about this specific scam pattern
Frequently asked questions
How do legitimate inheritance claims work if I really am a beneficiary?
A legitimate executor or solicitor administering an estate provides verifiable credentials, a law firm address, and documentation. They are paid from the estate itself. You can verify their registration with the relevant solicitors' or bar association.
I paid one fee — should I pay the next one to try to recover the first?
No. Paying further fees will only result in more losses. The fraud is designed to extract as much as possible through escalating obstacles. Stop all payments and report to your fraud authority.