topic The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today ! in Community Chat

The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

Goodie2shoes — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 19:42:46 GMT

She called me and was crying on the phone because of the

surprising call she received. Someone had been searching for her for weeks and had to end up paying a search site to find her. She had a friend that she worked with for over 16 years and they kept in touch after they retired but they didn't spend time together after retirement because they lived quiet a distance from each other and the friend was not in good health. They talked on the phone frequently but the friend's health started to diminish so her friend provided the phone number of another friend to be able to give updates on her health if she would no longer be able to call.

After not hearing from her friend over time, my friend tried to contact the other friend but not able to reach her.

Today she got a email that someone was trying to reach her so she called the number and found out that her friend had died Oct 6th. Very sad, she was crying on the phone. Once the caller verified who she was to my friend and the caller verified information about them working together the caller told my friend that her friend had added her to her will. She was shocked ! She verified there was no doubt and it was not a scam. Now that's a real friend and a blessing ! Sorry for the long post but you just don't find friends like that nowadays !

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

haddon9 — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 19:52:44 GMT

That is shocking...so sorry that your friend lost a good friend.

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

Tinkrbl44 — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 20:00:04 GMT

@Goodie2shoes

Sad, but also surprising. With the internet it's not very hard to find anyone these days.

Having to PAY someone to locate her? That part of the story seems rather odd to me, even if your friend isn't on FB.

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

Love my grandkids — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 20:04:50 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 Most sites that do searches require payment. Nothing to do with FB.There are so many ways to find people, you'd be surprised.

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

Ainhisg — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 20:16:24 GMT

How odd. Was the person who contacted her an employee of an attorney's office? From my experience, the attorney's office would have had the heirs' personal info when the will/trust was created. And if there had been a change in personal contact info, would have had the means at their disposal to find the heir. Something seems a bit fishy especially with the person divulging that they had to pay a search company to find her. And it seems very odd that an attorney's office (if that's who called) would be able to get an email address but not a phone number or address. I hope this whole situation is on the up and up, but I don't know.

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

RescueLover — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 20:10:41 GMT

Hi! @Goodie2shoes 🤗

I’m sorry about your friends loss but something does not seem right about this phone call. A phone call vs. a letter from an atty regarding something this important.

If Skip tracers can find out personal information on someone very easily, so can criminals.

Company records, family or friends Facebook accounts, etc.

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

Janey2 — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 20:18:47 GMT

This sounds like it might be some type of scam. Tell your friend to be very careful with the information she gives out.

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

AuntG — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 20:21:00 GMT

Advise your friend to provide no information, and wait to get a letter from the attorney handling the estate.

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

Tori3569 — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 20:22:25 GMT

@Ainhisg wrote:
How odd. Was the person who contacted her an employee of an attorney's office? From my experience, the attorney's office would have had the heirs' personal info when the will/trust was created. And if there had been a change in personal contact info, would have had the means at their disposal to find the heir. Something seems a bit fishy especially with the person divulging that they had to pay a search company to find her. And it seems very odd that an attorney's office (if that's who called) would be able to get an email address but not a phone number or address. I hope this whole situation is on the up and up, but I don't know.

Absolutely agree with everything written here. If it wasn't an attorney's office that called, I'd be very skeptical. I hope this won't be the type of thing where she has to pay to get the "inheritance ". I'm not usually skeptical of things at all, but this one doesn't ring true.

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

SactoSue — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 20:24:09 GMT

YES - This reeks of a SCAM to me.

She should not be giving out ANY BANK OR Credit Card information.

No Western Union wire transfers. That is a well-known scam.

She should not be paying any "fees" to anyone for "processing" or any other activity about the friends's purported will or estate.

She should not be taking any more calls from that caller.at all

She should not be making any calls to the number that called.

Any communications should be in writing, preferably going to a PO Box number and not her home address.

I'm sorry but this sounds very suspicious.

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

Desertdi — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 20:27:14 GMT

If anybody is looking to leave me an inheritance, I'm in the white pages...

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

Icegoddess — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 20:29:57 GMT

@Tori3569 wrote:
@Ainhisg wrote:
How odd. Was the person who contacted her an employee of an attorney's office? From my experience, the attorney's office would have had the heirs' personal info when the will/trust was created. And if there had been a change in personal contact info, would have had the means at their disposal to find the heir. Something seems a bit fishy especially with the person divulging that they had to pay a search company to find her. And it seems very odd that an attorney's office (if that's who called) would be able to get an email address but not a phone number or address. I hope this whole situation is on the up and up, but I don't know.

Absolutely agree with everything written here. If it wasn't an attorney's office that called, I'd be very skeptical. I hope this won't be the type of thing where she has to pay to get the "inheritance ". I'm not usually skeptical of things at all, but this one doesn't ring true.

Or give out personal information.

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

Icegoddess — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 20:31:47 GMT

Have you verified your friend's death? Try Googling her name followed by 2024 obituary.

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

Venezia — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 20:34:35 GMT

None of this sounds legitimate to me.

I have a friend who genuinely was recently left something in the will of a friend and former coworker of hers.

However, she received a letter from the attorney handling the estate. She then had to go to an attorney or other official to have her identity verfied and forwarded to the original attorney before she was ever given any information.

A "friend" of a friend tracking someone down and emailing? I would simply say give me the name of the attorney or law office and I'll contact them directly. No "middlemen" or "friends" required.

I'd also be checking the obituaries!

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

occasionalrain — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 20:35:59 GMT

Look up her obituary. It should be easy since you know the date and location. The person who contacted you could have obtained her information from that.

As others have recommended, give no personal information and send no money.

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

RescueLover — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 21:12:53 GMT

NO that is how these scammers likely start. They find an Obituary online and go from there!!

Where is @Goodie2shoes to read all this and warn her friend?!?!

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

icezeus — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 21:18:53 GMT

@Ainhisg

Not necessarily, I had to deal with a situation like this last year. I was the trustee of my aunts estate. I had to hire an attorney, and I had to provide the attorney with the contact information for them to reach out to contact the beneficiaries.

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

DottieBlue — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 21:23:16 GMT

@icezeus wrote:
@Ainhisg

Not necessarily, I had to deal with a situation like this last year. I was the trustee of my aunts estate. I had to hire an attorney, and I had to provide the attorney with the contact information for them to reach out to contact the beneficiaries.

And it was the attorney's office who contacted the beneficiaries and not just some "friend" via email. Correct?

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

Wsmom — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 21:25:25 GMT

The scams are plentiful. In the last two weeks two friends and I have all received different forms of scam attempts, me through FB messenger and the other two by phone, and they all had personal information. You can't be too careful. They are good and keep getting better.

Re: The Shocking Call My Friend Got Today !

Ainhisg — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 21:29:39 GMT

@icezeus Im sorry the attorney's office put that on you to do.