A "lawyer" mails you about a deceased stranger's life insurance policy — it's a scam
You receive a mailed letter from a "law firm" saying a deceased client with your last name left an unclaimed life insurance policy worth millions. They offer to split it with you if you share your SSN and pay a small fee first. No policy exists.
Also known as: unclaimed life insurance scam, fake lawyer life insurance letter, deceased stranger inheritance scam, life insurance heir letter scam
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 Do not respond to the letter, email, or call — any reply confirms your contact information to the scammer
- 2 Never share your Social Security number, bank account details, or any personal information with someone who contacted you unsolicited
- 3 Never pay any fee to receive a promised inheritance or insurance payout — real estate and insurance proceeds involve zero upfront fees
- 4 If you sent money or personal information already, contact your bank immediately to report fraud and place a free fraud alert with the credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) at 1-888-397-3742
- 5 To verify whether a real life insurance policy exists in a deceased person's name, use the free NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator at eapps.naic.org/life-policy-locator/
- 6 Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.
Red flags
- ⚠ A stranger contacts you about a deceased person with your same last name — real lawyers do not cold-contact potential heirs this way
- ⚠ The letter asks you to keep everything secret and respond quickly — urgency and secrecy are hallmarks of advance-fee fraud
- ⚠ They need your Social Security number or bank account to 'add you to the policy' — real insurance transfers never work this way
- ⚠ A 'processing fee,' 'transfer tax,' or 'legal retainer' is demanded before any funds can be released — legitimate insurance payouts involve no upfront fees
- ⚠ The 'law firm' has no verifiable address, no bar membership, and its name does not appear in state bar records
Sources
- FTC Consumer Alert — Unclaimed life insurance money? It's a scam (Jul 9, 2026)
- FTC Consumer Alert — Contacted about long-lost relative's life insurance policy or an inheritance? It's a scam (Jun 2024)
- FTC Consumer Alert — Did you get a letter from a 'lawyer' about cashing in on someone else's life insurance policy? (Aug 2023)
- Fox 59 — Don't fall for fake lawyer life insurance scam (2026)
- Sedgwick County DA — Life insurance scam letter circulating in Kansas