Scammers Impersonate Lawyers

Scammers have taken their fraudulent tactics to new heights, posing as a legitimate law firm and sending out letters to individuals, offering an unethical scheme involving someone else's life insurance policy. These letters, supposedly from a "lawyer" based in Canada, target various communities, including Latino, Korean, and Vietnamese populations.

The scam involves a claim of an unclaimed life insurance policy with millions of dollars in value, previously owned by a deceased client. Exploiting shared last names and nationalities, the scammers suggest adding recipients' names to the policy for a share of the funds, to be divided among them, the supposed law firm, and a charity. Responding to these letters, however, leads to demands for personal information and potentially money.

If you encounter such a letter, experts recommend not responding and refraining from sharing personal information. Sung W. Kim, an FTC attorney, advises against sending money through any means, including cash, gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. Raising awareness among friends and reporting the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov are crucial steps to thwart these fraudulent activities.