Q: Received a letter as beneficiary from Canadian lawyer. How to verify it's genuine?

A: To verify if the letter is genuine, start by independently confirming the lawyer’s identity using the Canadian provincial law society’s website to ensure they’re licensed and in good standing. Then call the law firm directly using contact information from their official website to confirm the lawyer sent the letter.

Consider checking probate court records in the province where the deceased supposedly lived to see if the estate exists and lists you as a beneficiary. Be cautious if asked for upfront payments, sensitive personal information, or if there’s pressure to act quickly or keep things secret. Don’t send banking details, ID scans, or your social security number.

Consider hiring an independent Canadian estate lawyer to review the case and communicate with the involved parties on your behalf. This will provide a neutral, professional opinion on whether the inheritance claim is legitimate.

A: ’m already suspicious of the claim because it comes from a relative you don’t know and never heard of, and it is supposedly coming from outside of the United States.

Before I say anything else, everyone should know this: NEVER GIVE ANY OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION TO SOMEONE CONTACTING YOU OUT OF THE BLUE and claiming to be from a law firm, your local electric company, or anywhere else. That means, no bank names, no account numbers, no credit card numbers, no buying gift cards. Nothing. Remember, much of your information is already online, so criminals can get that, say they want you to confirm your address , for example, then ask you for information they don’t have, like your social security information or the hospital in which you were born. Do not give any information to anyone by email or over the phone. (More on this in a second.)

If someone comes to your front door — EVEN IF they are wearing a uniform and have a badge that looks like it is from the local water company — do not let them inside your home. Get the person’s business card, look up the company’s phone number (don’t use the one on the card), call the company and ask: (1) if it is sending employees door-to-door; and (2) if it has an employee with the name of the person standing on your front porch. It is a common scam to get old uniforms from Goodwill or second hand shops, make their own badge using a computer, then say they are from the local water company testing everyone’s water. I’ve read about situations where the criminals push an owner outside then the criminals rob the place and dash over the back fence before the police can get into their police cars to drive over.

It is common for scoundrels to copy information from a law firm’s public website and use that information to scam people by claiming to be a lawyer at that firm. So, just because a law firm with that same name happens to exist does not mean it is a legitimate person with a legitimate offer. The sender could have simply copied the firm’s name and address from the anywhere online.

The first thing I do when I get an email saying an “African prince” or ”a relative you don’t know” left you money is to check the email address the sender is using. Quite frequently, the words after the @ symbol in the sender’s email address do not match the words that the real law firm uses. But, that’s just a start. Internet scammers are often part of massive criminal organizations that have HR Departments, etc. They lease office buildings and, from the outside, look just like any legitimate business. These sophisticated criminals can easily set up a fake law firm’s website etc. That’s why it is important to confirm that the lawyer and law firm are legitimate.

If the “lawyer” is in the United States, go to the website of the state or county Bar Association and see if the person is listed as a lawyer then confirm the contact information on the Bar’s website with the contact information you were given. If you can’t find the lawyer on the Bar Association’s website, it’s very likely a scam.

If the “lawyer” is outside the U.S. — a huge clue that it’s likely a scam — then check that country’s local Bar Association’s lawyer search to verify the same information as noted above. I believe another person who responded to your inquiry gave you the name of the place to go to search for Canadian lawyers. Most countries have public databases of lawyers and licensed professionals.

The final test is to contact the lawyer directly using the contact information from the Bar’s website. I do NOT reply to emails I receive. Instead, I will either call the law firm and ask to speak with the lawyer or send the lawyer an email using the address in the Bar’s website. Better safe than sorry.

A: You’ve taken good first steps by confirming the lawyer’s credentials on their official website and matching their letterhead address. To be extra sure, call the law firm’s main office number (not just the email address) and ask to speak directly with the lawyer who signed the letter.

Next, request a scanned copy of the death certificate and probate court file number for the deceased’s estate from the lawyer before you share any more personal details. Then independently check the probate registry in the relevant Canadian jurisdiction (often online) to verify that the lawyer’s firm is indeed handling that estate.

Finally, never provide sensitive data like your full Social Insurance Number or bank account details until you’ve seen a formal court filing or grant of probate confirming your beneficiary status. By confirming both the lawyer’s identity and the estate’s legitimacy through official channels, you’ll avoid scams and proceed safely.