Pennsylvania officials are alerting residents, particularly older adults, about a fraudulent email scam in which victims are falsely promised a large inheritance in exchange for significant upfront payments.
The scam involves messages designed to look like they come from official state email accounts and impersonate representatives from non-existent financial institutions outside the U.S.
In one reported case, an older Pennsylvanian was contacted via email by someone claiming to represent an overseas credit union. The scammer informed the individual that a distant, wealthy relative had left behind a sizable inheritance.
Over the course of nearly a year, the victim was pressured into paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in “release fees,” under the false pretense that the scammer’s agency was the only one capable of facilitating the transaction.
Officials caution that such scams often rely on urgency, secrecy, and a perceived sense of authority to manipulate victims into acting quickly. They are urging residents to be cautious when receiving unsolicited messages about prizes, inheritances, or emergency financial requests, especially if they involve unfamiliar individuals or institutions.
To protect against such scams, Pennsylvanians are advised not to respond to suspicious messages, avoid giving out personal or financial information, and always verify the legitimacy of email addresses and websites.
Official state websites and email addresses end in “.pa.gov” and will display the commonwealth’s logo. Anyone who believes they’ve been targeted is encouraged to report the incident to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, the Department of Banking and Securities, or the Attorney General’s Office.
