Unexpected money

You have suddenly won a prize in a lottery or competition that you did not enter. These scams work by asking you to pay some type of fee or tax to claim your prize.

Scammers are taking advantage of personal information available online from family tree and ancestry sites to deceive victims into thinking they've inherited money or estates. By obtaining names similar to those of distant relatives, they trick people into believing they're entitled to inheritance. However, their real goal is to steal money by asking for upfront fees and taxes to handle the probate and will process.

Its a good rule of thumb that if its too good to be true, it probably isn't true. However, there are some other signs its worth looking out for to identify unexpected money scams:

• You receive unexpected messages (emails, texts or letters) claiming you’re owed money, compensation, or an inheritance for a relative you've never heard of.
• You’re asked to pay upfront fees, taxes, or charges to receive money or prizes, even though you never entered a competition.
• You receive a message that looks official, asking you to pay an ‘administration fee’ or tax to receive a refund or rebate.
• You’re told you’re a beneficiary of a court order and asked to hand over personal details or money to make a claim.