Inheritances: Scheme of the Year

The document bears an impressive-sounding letterhead, and the language is unmistakably legal. What it says is that a named person has died, leaving an unclaimed estate. "The heirs of said deceased are unknown," the message explains, and an inquiry is being made of many people with the same last name on the chance that one might be the rightful heir. If you are interested in further information, would you please send a $6 "copy fee" to cover the cost of obtaining "duplicates of documents filed," so that you might better ascertain whether...

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