In 2023, PayPal inheritance scams are still a pervasive issue. Victims of this type of scam are typically contacted by email or text message, claiming that the victim has a large sum of money waiting for them. The message usually claims that the money is a result of an inheritance, or other windfall of funds, that is waiting to be released to the victim.
The scammers behind this type of fraud often use language that is designed to make the victim believe that the money is legitimate. In addition, they usually require the victim to send a small fee in order to unlock the funds. This fee can range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars.
Unfortunately, the money that is sent to the scammers never reaches the victim. Although PayPal offers some level of protection against this type of fraud, it is important for consumers to be vigilant when it comes to unsolicited emails and messages that claim to offer a large sum of money from an inheritance. PayPal does not initiate contact with individuals to discuss potential inheritances or windfalls; any messages that do should be ignored.
