If you recently received an email or letter from someone calling themselves "Barr. Gilbert Howard" or claiming to represent "Howard Gilbert Law" or "Gilbert Howard LLP," you might wonder if you are about to inherit millions of dollars. The message typically claims that a wealthy individual sharing your last name died in an accident, leaving behind an unclaimed multi-million dollar life insurance policy or bank deposit with no known heirs.
So, is this inheritance email real, or is it a scam? To put it plainly: It is 100% a fraudulent phishing scam.
There is no unclaimed $9.8 million insurance policy, and there is no legitimate attorney named "Gilbert Howard" attempting to share an estate with you. Cybercriminals and fraudsters routinely invent fake legal identities or misuse legitimate sounding firm names to trick, manipulate, and steal money from unsuspecting individuals.
It is critical to note that there are perfectly legitimate, highly respected attorneys practicing law under these or very similar names who have absolutely no connection to these scam messages.
For example, legitimate offices and practitioners include:
Scammers frequently impersonate or mimic the names of real attorneys to make their fake letters look authentic when searched online. If you receive a suspicious inheritance claim, remember that legitimate legal practices do not send unsolicited emails asking strangers to participate in off-the-books inheritance splits.
Government agencies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have repeatedly warned against these international inheritance phishing schemes.
This specific scheme is a textbook version of advance fee fraud (also known as an inheritance phishing scam). Scammers follow a structured pattern to build trust before extracting money and personal data:
You receive an unexpected email presenting the sender as a Canadian solicitor or lawyer using titles like "Barr. Gilbert Howard (ESQ)" from "Gilbert Howard LLP" or "Howard Gilbert Law."
The email outlines an elaborate backstory:
A client (often named "Mr. Hans Schmidt" or another common full name) worked for an energy company in Canada and passed away in a tragic accident years ago. The deceased left behind an unclaimed "Payable-on-Death" (POD) savings deposit or permanent life insurance policy worth $9,820,000 USD.
According to the email, insurance rules state that unclaimed funds will be forfeited to the government within 10 to 12 years if no beneficiary comes forward.
The scammer contacts you under the premise that you share the same last name as the deceased client. They propose a "100% risk free partnership": they will add your name as the official beneficiary so the funds can be released. In exchange, the money will be split, typically 90% between you and the fake lawyer, with 10% designated for charity to make the proposal sound respectable.
If you respond, the scammers will ask for sensitive personal information, including your full legal name, phone number, address, and copies of government-issued IDs (driver's license or passport). Once hooked, you will be asked to pay mandatory upfront processing fees, legal clearance fees, or tax certificates.
Because the fortune is entirely fictional, no money will ever be transferred to you. The scammer will continue creating fake legal requirements demanding further fees until you stop paying or realize you have been defrauded.
Here is an example of the fake inheritance message being circulated:
"My name is Barr. Gilbert Howard, I am a solicitor with Gilbert Howard LLP, Canada. There is an unclaimed "permanent life insurance policy" held by our deceased client.
The transaction pertains to an unclaimed "Payable-on-Death" ("POD") savings monetary deposit in the sum of Nine Million Eight Hundred and Twenty Thousand United States Dollars ($9,820,000) The policy holder was one of our clients, Mr. Hans Schmidt who worked with Energy Company here in Canada. He died in an accident in Toronto, Canada, Ten years ago.
Since His death no one has come forward for the claim and all our efforts to locate His relatives have proved unsuccessful.
The insurance company code stipulates that "insured permanent policies" not claimed must be turned over to the abandoned property division of the state after 10 years. Therefore, I ask for your consent to be in partnership with me for the claim of this policy benefit, if you permit me to add your name to the policy, all proceeds will be processed on your behalf. I wish to point out that I want 10% of this money to be shared among charity organizations while the remaining 90% will be shared between us.
This is 100% risk free; I do have all necessary documentation to expedite the process in a highly professional and confidential manner.
I will provide all the relevant documents to substantiate your claim as the beneficiary. This claim requires a high level of confidentiality, and it may take up to thirty ;business days, from the date of receipt of your consent.
Here attached is a copy of my ID Card for you to know my level of sincerity and transparency in this transaction.
Your earliest response to this matter would be highly appreciated."
Have a nice day.
Best regards
Barr. Gilbert Howard (ESQ)
Gilbert Howard LLP
Tel: +1 (812) 226-2861
Web: (link removed for safety)
Scammers also use variations of this name such as "Gilbert Law Firm LLC" to run fraudulent debt collection operations over the phone and via email.
In this scenario, imposters aggressively target individuals regarding fake payday loans or defaulted accounts (sometimes falsely referencing known lending companies like "Speedy Cash"). They threaten immediate legal action, wage garnishment, or claim they will suspend your Social Security Number (SSN) if you do not authorize immediate payment via wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or gift cards.
Recognizing these key indicators will help you immediately identify this scam:
The "Howard Gilbert Law" / "Gilbert Howard LLP" inheritance email is not legitimate. It is an advance fee phishing scam designed to harvest personal identity data and extract fraudulent fees. These scammers routinely impersonate real legal professionals or misuse real law firm names to make their fraudulent communications appear legitimate.
While respected attorneys with similar names genuinely exist, they have no connection to these illegal schemes. If an unexpected email promises millions of dollars from an unknown relative in exchange for upfront fees or personal details, delete it immediately.
The information in this article is provided for educational and awareness purposes. Company names, phone numbers, sender names, and other details referenced may have been impersonated, spoofed, or otherwise misused by scammers. Their appearance in this article does not necessarily identify the legitimate company, owner of a phone number or account as being involved in fraudulent activity.
This article has been written by a Scam Fighter Contributor, De-Reviews.com Team. If you believe the article above contains inaccuracies or needs to include relevant information, please contact ScamAdviser.com using this form.
De-Reviews.com Team is a group of scam researchers, editors, and online safety advocates dedicated to exposing online fraud and helping consumers stay safe online. The team has been investigating scams, fraudulent websites, phishing campaigns, and other online threats since 2014. Read the Full Author Profile.
