Solicitor wanting my d.o.b.?

[Shittyproblem]

A family member died recently, & now his solicitor has asked for my d.o.b.

I'm very suspicious, I can't think of any reason for it. We were closely related, but not actually close.

Any thoughts, please ?

You've been left something in will?

To check that you are the person who’s been left a legacy in the will - do you intend to refuse it as you were not close?

Why are you suspicious? Why don't you just phone and ask?

And my thoughts? Mountains and molehills.

Have you instructed the solicitor? If so, it will be part of their due diligence procedures they have to complete for new clients.

Have you never done anything requiring an identity check before ?
You probably needed to put your dob in when you joined MN!

If they are going to have any financial dealings with you, they are obliged to confirm your identity. It's a regulatory requirement.

Why don't you just ask them why they need it?

Perfectly normal, it's part of anti-money laundering and ID verification compliance.

Why would you be suspicious of a solicitor? They will have grounds to ask for it, they are not just trying to scam you.

Potentially you are named in the will.

Anti money laundering

As others say solicitors are under the cosh from their regulator to do anti money laundering checks. DoB and other details are part of that.

The paranoia! It’s a solicitor for goodness sake!

Standard anti money laundering procedure. Presumably you've been left something and they have to run checks on you to make sure you're the intended recipient.

And names often run in families, making verification of which individual you are dealing with particularly important for wills. I have 5 cousins with near-identical names (variants of Marie/Maria and the same surname). Imagine the potential for cock-up if all 5 get left something in the same will - which could easily happen.

Thanks for the helpful replies.

Scammers have been known to impersonate solicitors, bank managers, police, etc....

So you look them up on the regulatory website, get a name and call their switchboard.

You probably needed to put your dob in when you joined MN!

For anything non-legal of that type, I lie. I've got a list of passwords, false names and false d.o.bs

Well, if that's your worry, it makes perfect sense to ask people on a parenting forum what they think, instead of checking the SRA register or doing any actual due diligence.

But you know that these are your late family member's solicitors.........

Oh come now - some of those family solicitor scammer-types play a really long game...

Any thoughts, please

Don’t be so daft - that’s what I’m thinking.

It's always a good idea to look accompany up and to contact them directly rather than just accept a phone call. Are you normally so suspicious?

FFS darling, it's a legal matter and it's a solicitor who is asking for your DOB, not an online Nigerian scam prince!!

Some people take suspicion to a whole new level! 🙄

Oh so do I! 😂

Me too, I wonder how many of us were “born” on 1st January 😂

That’s my birthday too! What a coincidence. And if anyone asks, I’m always 10 years younger than I really am 🤫