This scam starts with some sudden news – you have won the lottery or a sweepstakes. Or the caller may be informing you that you are the recipient of an inheritance from a distant relative or monies held from a previous inheritance have now been released to you. If you receive an unexpected contact claiming any of these – beware.

Sweepstakes Scams
Scammers will contact you to inform you of your great luck – you won! The scammer will then typically inform you that there are taxes and fees related to your big win, and that you need to send money to cover these costs before you can claim you prize. They commonly ask for payment in gift cards, crypto, or even cash. Scammers may also contact you to inform you of your big win, but this time no upfront payment is needed – they simply need all of your bank account information so that they can deposit your (nonexistent) winnings. In either case, beware! Especially if you don’t recall entering these “sweepstakes”.

Fake Inheritance Scams
Inheritance scams operate by convincing individuals they have a claim to a significant windfall from a distant relative or an unclaimed estate. To “release” these funds, fraudsters demand upfront administrative fees or sensitive personal information. Once the payment is made or data is shared, the scammers vanish, and the promised inheritance never materializes. Scammers will commonly reach out via a letter, email, or text message claiming to be from a fake law firm that is representing an estate. They may also provide you with fake life insurance or will documents naming you as the beneficiary. They will always request sensitive personal information or “tax payments”, “processing fees”, or “legal fees” to release your “inheritance”.

Always remember this when you receive a solicitation through text, phone, email, or social media – if it sounds strange, don’t engage!
Visit our website http://www.scamsquadsav.org to check for other scams and alerts. You can also contact the GVSAV Scam Squad by calling 520-351-6715 Monday through Thursday 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. To report an incident of fraud (money lost to a scam) call 911 or 520-351-4900. You can also visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/GVSAV.