Recent Death,Is Heir Hunter Bogus

[tsumi]

Hi All,
I had this email from a relation in Canada asking what I thought about an email recieved by a close friend.....
She has been contacted by someone who is suppose to be from Wales a retired lawyer who says she is inheriting from a uncle that she never met. The name of the deceased is her dads brother and the man did seem to know about her and her brother. He is asking for a death certificate of her fathers , a marriage certificate of her parents and her birth certificate before he will tell her anything. With all of the scams that are out there she is nervous mailing these to this person. ( She does have a tree on ancestry so she was wondering if maybe this is how he found out things , but she and her brother who are still living,their info should have been private at least thro ancestry) The dead uncles name is Alex Ford Parry Ferguson. He was born in 1924 in Burma and apparently died sometime in 2013 in Wales. She has never met this man as he remained in England and her dad came here to Canada. I have tried searching everything I can think of on the web but haven't been able to find anything. We have found through ancestry another tree that has this man on it and that is were we got the 2013 death in Wales from.

I have checked the London Gazette for any details of a Will but found nothing,also a few South Wales newspapers,again nothing found.
To both myself and cousin this sounds like a scam has anyone any thoughts on this.
Tsumi

[MaryA]

I don't believe a legitimate company would ask for certificates - yes I watch the programme on TV, and enjoy it - and the representatives who call on the family simply ask them for their knowledge of the family, not actual evidence which most people wouldn't hold.

I just downloaded their list of "new and historic unclaimed estates" and there doesn't appear to be this man's name entered, however I would make an enquiry with bona vacantia themselves.
http://www.bonavacantia.gov.uk/output/a ... tates.aspx

However you decide to deal with it, I would be hesitant about handing over certificates.

[tsumi]

Hi Mary,

Thanks very much for your reply ,you have spoken our thoughts exactly.
Will let you know any further developements.
Tsumi

[MaryA]

I will be interested in any developments, just curiosity you know.

PS Any more of your so very interesting stories on the back burner? The editor is looking for some new material and yours were really good.

[tsumi]

Hi Mary,One of my past story,s has been taken up by the media, for the World War One Centenary next year,but not sure if it will be just a newspaper story or on TV.I will make sure the Society and all the help I have had of you all get a mention if at all possible
Tsumi

[MaryA]

Oh very well done, I know you have produced some excellent pieces of work so I'm sure it will do well, keep us up to date.

[dickiesam]

Hi Tsumi,
I suggest that your relation asks that 'retired lawyer' to send some information regarding this inheritance on headed paper as an attachment. That should have his full name and address on it as well as his 'qualifications', and with it a copy of the will in question. If he fails to respond it is a scam. Incidentally, relatively few British [let alone Welsh] solicitors refer to themselves as lawyers, and if this person does I would definitely suspect a scam. What is the suffix of his email, the bit after the @ symbol? Sometimes possible to ID the area it is coming from.

As Mary A says a legitimate company would not ask for certificates, especially via email. They would probably get a contact local to your Canadian relation to make any approach.

[MaryA]

and with it a copy of the will in question.

A legitimate Heir Hunter might not have a copy of the Will if there wasn't one, but if there was one then why would the "lawyer" be retired and not practising and doing it for a living, otherwise how would he have got hold of the Will? That seems to be three thoughts all in one go, hard work for me

a legitimate company would not ask for certificates, especially via email.

How on earth would they get hold of an email address, except by connecting it to somebody on Ancestry or a similar site?

They would probably get a contact local to your Canadian relation to make any approach.

I do believe that would be usual.

Another approach could be to the GRO for a death certificate, they do say that they would do a search one year either side of what you ask for, so if you were able to give an approximate location and say it was this year, they might be willing.

[dickiesam]

One can often tell from the 'language' and phrasing used if an email is a scam. The infamous so-called 'Nigerian' scam mails where someone had died intestate and left loads of lolly sitting in an overseas bank account where the sender just happens to work and can access the account, and will cut you in for a percentage if you help him clean out the account, are full of quirky unusual uses of words. But, despite that, plenty of unfortunates got sucked in and lost a lot of money because they where asked for a good faith 'security deposit' in order to process the cleanout.

[shirley]

I was a beneficiary from an Aunts will, who died intestate. My brother and I both had to provide my fathers death cert, and my marriage cert, BUT this was all from a solicitor in London, official headed paper,with details of the Aunt, and names of other cousins who were benefiting from it. We had to confirm that these people were correct. This was before e mails. So does not look good to me.

[Hilary]

It's possible that the retired lawyer is an executor of the will so the name of the deceased wouldn't appear on the list of intestate estates.

If the person died in 2013 you would need to contact the GRO to ask for a copy of the death certificate. There is nothing available online after 2007.

However I do think it sounds fishy and would want far more information before I sent any certificates.

[tsumi]

Hi Mary,Dickiesam,Education Officer,Shirley,I have passed all your thoughts onto Kathy and she likewise to Susan,and they will take up on all your comments,I think the e.mail address is the clincher on it all,why did the person not write on letter headed paper ?oh my how the plot thickens.
Mary, I e.mailed or tried to Bonvacantia ,the site must be down but will keep trying .
Many thanks everyone and I will keep you all up to date on any developments.
Tsumi

[MaryA]

Seems to be back to normal this morning http://www.bonavacantia.gov.uk/output/ with a Contact link near the top of the page.

[tsumi]

Hi Mary,I have written again Bona etc and fingers crossed ,I have a feeling they may have about 10 emails all the same off me,or none at all, because when I press send it dosn,t appear to do so.
Happy Days
Tsumi

[MaryA]

Fingers crossed for a reply.

[tsumi]

Hi All,The death and notice of will has appeared today in the London Gazette...........
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/ ... ort=newest.
Well we all want to know now what she has been left.
Thanks everyone for all the thoughts and imput,s.
Tsumi

[dickiesam]

Thanks for the update Tsumi. Don't think there are any retired 'lawyers' in this firm of solicitors....
link removed for legal reasons MA

[MaryA]

Well I think the so called retired lawyer has some inside knowledge, perhaps either knew the uncle or maybe scours local newspapers for deaths, he still sounds bogus to me. Glad you have a legitimate notice that can be applied to directly.

Just re-read - surely it doesn't mean that any claim had to be in before 28 June?

[tsumi]

Hi Mary,It kind of looks that way, 28,June 2013,for all claimants after that date, estate will be divided amongst all claimants.
Conclusion
This B***** Hill is an heir hunter and is after a commission of some sort, after all if the Estate has now been divided between rightfull heirs where is his money going to come from .
A Fergusons Widow is still alive.

Well not to brag to much about ourselves but I think LSWFG people are not only multi talented but can spot a con a mile off and all deserve Medals.

Oh and the e.mail addy is @plus.com from him.
Tsumi

[MaryA]

A Fergusons Widow is still alive.

As I understand it, if they were still married then there is nothing for claimants as it should all go to her surely?