Gloucester Police are warning residents to not be fooled by potential scams that are going around town.
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A member of the community recently received a letter from a Canadian bank offering a part in a deceased estate.
The letter indicated that an Australian resident, with the same last name as the recipient, had passed away in Canada leaving a 9.2 million United States dollar estate unclaimed.
It claimed the deceased person had been a long time customer of the bank and person writing the letter was their account manager.
The letter goes on to explain the elaborate way they can assist to get the funds transferred to the recipient in Australia by claiming next of kin.
The recipient brought the letter to the Gloucester police in order to make them aware of the scam.
There have been reports in the past about similar letters from overseas indicating the recipient is entitled to a large inheritance from a deceased relative they weren’t aware of, but in order to get the funds they need to pay the legal fees first.
Scams can also be received via email, phone, social media or fax.
Scamwatch is a government website designed for people to get information about current reported scams, as well as being a site for people to report scams.
It provides tips about what to look out for and how to protect yourself from being scammed.
The website is run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and provides information to consumers and small businesses about how to recognise, avoid and report scams.
To report a scam, go to https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/ or contact the police assistance line on 13 14 44.