The Washington County Sheriff's Office has issued a warning about an International Inheritance Scam Alert, alerting residents to fraudulent letters claiming they are due large inheritances from deceased individuals with the same last name. The letters often use official-sounding titles, financial terms, and promises of millions of dollars to appear credible.
According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, Sheriff Martin Schulteis said common warning signs, including promises of a 50/50 split on large sums, requests for personal information, and assurances that the transaction is "100% risk-free." Scammers typically ask for upfront payments for fake taxes or fees and may try to collect personal details for identity theft.
The Sheriff's Office advised that no government agency or financial institution would randomly contact someone about an unknown overseas inheritance. Residents should not respond, provide personal information, or send money, and should report suspected scams to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The alert also emphasizes informing elderly family and friends, who are often targeted by these schemes.
