Recent Death,Is Heir Hunter Bogus

[tsumi]

Hi Mary/DS,I don,t think we will hear anything very quickly if at all from Authorities,from what bits we have found out the "net" appears to be worldwide.
I am sure if anyone is inclined to Google with a given name, like we have, they will see what we have seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Take care everyone.
Tsumi

[tsumi]

Hi All,I have just received this e.mail from my Cousin and all is not looking good.............

Ok. He called S.... last night. Ask her where the stuff was. She said she was busy, and just had the paper work back from the Lawyer on Thursday. He got a bit mad at her. And said they have spent a lot of time on this and that she will be out of the money. Meaning she will not claim her share.

She was taken back and a bit upset. He apologized to her. Because his client criticized him for the delay.
She said I have no idea who you are and I’m concerned about identity thief. He said my dear I’m not going to do that.

So she did not know what to do. Then she said to me she is going to send the stuff to him today.
I’m 50/50. If he was fraud she can call the police and they have a known address.
Susan said hopefully we will find out what this is all about. She still did not call her brother.
SO I’ll be in touch and update you and you can let Tsumi know the results.

This is after the Fraud Police on both side,s have been informed,this she knows but dosn,t believe us.
Tsumi

[dickiesam]

OMG! He has her phone number? From his attitude he has to be a scammer. It is typical of them to use bully-boy tactics then apologise to 'make you feel mollified' and sympathetic towards them. No self-respecting heir hunter would bully a client. They daren't, because the inheritor can simply tell them to buzz off and the hunter loses his commission. That address will probably be an accommodation address only.

My advice would be to totally ignore all further contact. He will have other fish to fry and will eventually cease contact. If possible get his phone number both by asking him and by using a caller ID option. Both numbers should be the same. Then ask the phone company to put a bar on the number.

[tsumi]

Hi DS,
Very wise words again from yourself ,and yes, my cousin K.... and I both googled the address and many Companys are listed at the place ,no-one appears to live there,(we went on Google street),so we also think it,s an accommodation address,Susan has a phone number but he is only there when he tells her to phone (away on buisness he said):roll:

Please everyone make sure your family and friends are never taken in by a scam like this,they make it all sound so very plausible.
Tsumi

[MaryA]

Oh horrors, she is being harrassed. Definitely get the police involved and please tell her not to pass on any documents.

[tsumi]

Hi All,
Well she sent all the documents to the H H and this is what she has had returned....

The monies 300000.000,in question arise from the estate of a Mr Hewitt who was a son of your late Graet Aunt who was born 1889,a sister of your grandmother.
The monies are at present in the hands of the British government and claims of this nature always take considerable time however we will inform you of all progress made..
There is always a risk of failure ,you will recall I mentioned it was impossible to find the death certificate of either Mr Hewitt born 1866 and Mrs Hewitt ,nee Ferguson,born 13 June 1899.
I confirm all steps taken will be bound by an understanding of confidentiality between us .Hopefully we will be writing again very shortly.Yours etc


I thought you could only benefit back to your Grandparents ,would love to hear your comments
Tsumi

[dickiesam]

The monies are at present in the hands of the British government and claims of this nature always take considerable time however we will inform you of all progress made..

And:

The monies 300000.000,in question arise

This 'schoolboy' format and poor language confirms he is a scam artist. From watching the real-live heir hunters we all know where the money should be.... and who will be handling the estate..
The Treasury Solicitor’s Office,
Treasury Solicitor's Department
Bona Vacantia Division (BVD)
PO Box 70165
London WC1A 9HG
bvinfo@tsol.gsi.gov.uk

Next comes the request for money to cover his expenses etc.... He has a considerable outlay, etc.... "The monies 300000.000" is the big come-on, the tempter.

I am extremely concerned that your relative has bitten down on the hook and is being played.
http://www.419scam.org/emails/2012-12/07/00351382.1.htm

http://www.spamfighter.com/News-17403-B ... Hunter.htm

http://www.iwc-ltd.co.uk/article-heir-h ... -scam.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/money/spen ... 20829.html

[tsumi]

Hi DS,
We are all concerned and have spoken with Police but......................
here is part of the e.mail my Cousin sent me ..


OMG she sent everything with all that everyone has been telling her. Apparently she said it is a mystery and she wants to solve it . Hopefully she doesn't loose everything. She told Carolyn not to tell me but apparently he has promised her 300,000.00, Oh and according to Carolyn he really yelled at her the other night when he phoned saying she was wasting her time, that there was other clients that she was holding up etc. Then apologized saying he was just frustrated as his client was frustrated and wanted this done. There are so many red flags and she has chosen to ignore them I'll let you know how it goes.

As I said to my Cousin she is well and truly hooked,but I will send on the valuable piece you have written, see if she takes any more notice,but as far as she is concerned we are the bad guys for not believing she has had a wonderful bit of good luck!I have seen this before some years ago with a bogus "win a holiday"the person involved lost hundreds of pounds, it ended up on Crimewatch.
The only good thing coming out of all this is an awful lot more people are aware and won,t be sucked in with bogus Heir Hunters.
We do think he got a lot of her past family details from the family history site, A.......

Many thanks for all your time and most helpful words and advice.
Tsumi

[dickiesam]

We do think he got a lot of her past family details from the family history site

IMO, another very good reason for keeping your Ancestry Family Tree private!

I truly hope your relative finally understands what is going on and sees through the misty promise of a possible financial windfall to perceive what it really is. Unfortunately, there are literally thousands of true reports of people being sucked into the web of deceit on the 'promise' of substantial monetary gain only to discover too late they have taken on a very costly, and sometimes heartbreaking, ride.

The old adage "If it seems too good to be true, it usually is" springs to mind.

[MaryA]

Please encourage her that when the request for money comes, and I feel sure it may do, not to comply. It's bad enough handing over all those documents, I'm very worried for her.

[tsumi]

Hi DS/Mary,

Have sent off to Kathy and she in turn to Susan all you have said,and very real concerns,if we are worried for her I don,t like to think what state her relatives are in.

Thank goodness for this forum and the number of people who are reading this story,to tell others, there will be fewer victims in the future.
I for one am telling everyone at every opportunity I get, what is happening to an ordinary person who has let her guard down, never thinking what wretches are out there.
Take care Tsumi

[dickiesam]

For Susan....

Many 'Variations on a Theme"..... The theme being someone wants your money!

http://www.crouchie.net/sc/419.aspx and

http://www.crouchie.net/sc/scams.aspx

And there are many, many victims out there who have not reported their losses, even substantial losses in excess of £1,000s because they are too embarrassed to report the matter to the police and admit to their own naivety. Some have lost their entire savings.

A quick edit to add: The scammer may not ask for a payment for expenses. Instead he may confirm her 'claim' has been successful and ask for her bank details in order to deposit the windfall..... Probably via Western Union! Without realising what she is doing she could even let slip her password or pin, and then her bank account will get cleaned out.

And the scammer is very skilled at deflecting/rubbishing the advice the potential victim may get from concerned relatives and friends.

[tsumi]

Hi DS,

Very wise words indeed,I hadn,t thought of the last paragraph

Instead he may confirm her 'claim' has been successful and ask for her bank details in order to deposit the windfall..... Probably via Western Union! Without realising what she is doing she could even let slip her password or pin, and then her bank account will get cleaned out.

Which is what he/she had in mind all along!

Many thanks Tsumi

[tsumi]

Hi Everyone and Happy New Year.
Well I have just received this latest e.mail from my cousin....

Susan heard from the head hunter he says the government has cleared everything and that she should be getting her money soon. I'll let you know how this finally turns out. Hopefully she doesn't get scammed .

I think our Government and the supposed solicitor have been unbelievably quick sorting this out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So we will soon hear about the outcome of it all,my thoughts are he will ask for her bank details as dickiesam mentions.
Take care tsumi.

[MaryA]

So we will soon hear about the outcome of it all,my thoughts are he will ask for her bank details as dickiesam mentions.

Happy New Year! thanks for the update, I sincerely hope she doesn't give those details over!!!!!

Is there any way of playing it safe and opening an account at a totally different bank (not the same bank as all accounts would be accessible via an online login) and giving those details for receipt of the money? Let them have those details, warn the bank of a possible scam, and wait to see if any money goes in.

[tsumi]

Hi Mary,
I will e.mail that very good idea of yours right now and hope it isn,t too late,although with what we have all said and I have passed onto my cousin for her I guess only time will tell if she takes notice.
All the very best to you and all you wish yourself.
Tsumi

[dickiesam]

Hi Mary,
I will e.mail that very good idea of yours right now and hope it isn,t too late,although with what we have all said and I have passed onto my cousin for her I guess only time will tell if she takes notice.
All the very best to you and all you wish yourself.
Tsumi

Thanks for the update Tsumi. Channel 4 did an excellent program recently on scammers. Worth watching if you can find it on YouTube etc.

I'd say that, in addition to previous evidence, the 'heir-hunter's' use of the words the government has cleared everything really puts the scammer label on him.

And a good idea from MaryA about that 'empty' bank account.

[tsumi]

Thanks dickiesam,wise words as always,and thanks for the links I will scour later.Will post onto my relation.
Happy New Year and all you wish yourself
Tsumi

[tsumi]

Hi All, this is the latest,several e.mail,s between Cousin,s friend and Bona Vacantia,Start at the bottom and work up.
Any thought,s anyone.? I think if he is genuine, his cut will be whatever he decides it will be!
Tsumi

Bona Vacantia
Unfortunately I am unable to ring you in Canada, but according to our records Barrie Hill & Co are representing you, they are the people who are applying for a Grant of Letters of Administration on your behalf. When the Treasury Solicitor receives the Grant we will forward them an estate account for the balance of the estate we are holding.

On 17 February 2014 I sent your solicitors a cheque for the inheritance tax along with the IHT 400 form that they had completed, this amount will be deducted from the balance that the Treasury Solicitor is holding when we receive the Grant of Letters of Administration and we send the estate account to your solicitors who are acting on your behalf.

Regards

Fiona Gabriel
Bona Vacantia Divison (BVD)
PO Box 70165
London
WC1A 9HG
tel: 0207 210 3595
fiona.gabriel@tsol.gsi.gov.uk

To: Fiona Gabriel
Subject: Re: Status update

I thought you were looking after this return. Can you provide me with a contact within the government? I need to verify a few things.

Susan

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 13, 2014, at 12:22 PM, Fiona Gabriel <Fiona.Gabriel@TSOL.GSI.GOV.UK> wrote:

Dear Ms

Thank you for your email, unfortunately I am unable to give you any further advice on IHT forms as these are inland revenue forms.

I would suggest that you contact Barrie & Co who are representing you for further information on how they propose to pay the inheritance tax.

Yours sincerely
Fiona Gabriel



Subject: Re: Status update

Can you tell me how you settle the IHT return? Do you deduct the inheritance tax then pay out the claim? Can the net proceeds be paid to a Canadian law firm in trust? The company that had contacted me is not a practicing UK law firm nor is it incorporated.
Please advise me.

Thank you for your prompt reply.
I would like to find out more information about the process and my responsibilities. Can you please provide me with a link or a web site?



Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 11, 2014, at 7:22 AM, Fiona Gabriel <Fiona.Gabriel@TSOL.GSI.GOV.UK> wrote:

Dear M

Thank you for your email.

The IHT400 form was received in this office today and is the matter is receiving attention. I will be in contact with Barrie Hill & Co as soon as possible.

Thank you for your email.

Yours sincerely

Fiona Gabriel
Bona Vacantia Divison (BVD)
PO Box 70165




I am the lawful cousin of George Angus Hewitt.

I believe the IHT400 returned may have been filed. It is your reference # F403276/13D.

Can you provide me with an update?

[MaryA]

Just a thought crosses my mind, has a contract with "the Solicitors" been signed authorising them to act, if not, why are bona vacantia accepting them, surely they must have seen a document to this effect.