The ScamGator blog

Assessing Money Requests to Unlock Funds: Helping Loved Ones Stay Safe

Learn practical steps to help family members independently assess and safely respond to requests for money to unlock supposed funds.

Take a Pause Before Responding If a family member receives a request to send money in order to unlock a prize, inheritance, or any kind of funds, the most important first step is to pause and avoid acting quickly. Scammers often depend on creating a sense of urgency or excitement to push people into fast decisions. Remind your family member that there is always time to check and verify such requests safely.

Common Warning Signs to Watch For Recognizing suspicious signs helps you decide when more verification is necessary. Warning signs don’t automatically mean something is a scam, but they are important indicators:

Warning sign: The message claims you have won or are entitled to a large sum of money, but you must pay a fee or provide sensitive information first.
Safer action: Encourage your family member not to send money or personal details. Look up the organization’s contact information independently and ask them if this kind of request is typical.

Warning sign: The sender uses urgent language, such as saying time is running out or threatening the loss of funds if action is not taken immediately.
Safer action: Suggest stopping to discuss the situation together. Reach out directly to any organization involved using only contact details found through an independent search, not those in the message.

Warning sign: The message comes from an unusual email address, has spelling or grammar mistakes, or asks for sensitive information such as banking details or ID numbers.
Safer action: Inspect the sender’s details carefully. If anything looks suspicious or the message feels unusual, it is safest not to reply or click links. Advise family to delete or ignore the message and verify through a separate channel.

How to Independently Verify a Request Encourage your family member to independently research any request to send money. This means:

• Never relying on contact information provided in the suspicious message.
• Looking up the official contact information for the bank, business, or organization using a trusted source.
• Calling or emailing through those official channels and asking if the request is legitimate.
• Checking with other family members or trusted friends if anything sounds unusual.

Stopping Contact Safely Advise your family member that it is okay, and often safest, to stop communicating with anyone making these demands until the situation is clarified. They should not feel pressured by repeated messages or calls. Persistent messages, threats, or increasing pressure are strong reasons to end the conversation and independently confirm the facts.

Protecting Personal Information Remind your loved one never to share personal or financial information in response to unsolicited requests. Legitimate organizations typically will not ask for passwords, full banking details, or security codes in unexpected messages.

Example Scenarios Warning sign: An email claims to be from an overseas law firm informing your relative about an unexpected inheritance. They must send a processing fee to release the funds. Safer action: Instead of sending money, your family member should pause and research. Contact the law firm through its independently verified website or phone number, not any contact details in the email.

Warning sign: A message claims a locked bank account contains lottery winnings, but only if a transfer fee is paid first.
Safer action: Warn your family member not to provide any payment or personal information until speaking directly with their actual bank using numbers listed on their bank card or official statements.

Warning sign: Someone contacts your relative by phone, pressuring them to wire funds quickly for a supposed legal matter, and instructs them not to talk to anyone else about it.
Safer action: Encourage your family member to hang up. Reach out to you or another trusted person to discuss, and call the organization directly through a trusted source.

What to Do If Money Was Sent If your family member has already sent money or shared financial information, encourage them to contact their financial institution as soon as possible using a trusted phone number or by visiting in person. Quick action may help limit possible loss. While refunds are not guaranteed, banks are best equipped to assist.

Support and Open Communication Scammers target people of all ages and backgrounds. Supporting your family member with empathy and patience is key. Encourage open discussion about suspicious messages, never blame anyone for being targeted. Remind them that seeking help, asking questions, and verifying details are always wise steps.