Secret benefactor?

[LogBurnerBurnout]

My curiosity is killing me - I’m hoping the company can help me but after a phone call I am none the wiser.

A few weeks ago, I received a letter from AXA investments saying my name had been found using public records and quoting the name of a deceased individual who had opened an investment account with them some 30 years ago.

I have never heard of this individual and neither had my siblings. Both my parents have been dead for some years.

I emailed and phoned AXA without success so far and will write in as I am curious to know what connection and records they might have searched to find me! It’s not a scam, I don’t think, as I have to provide official documents (which i can’t get as I know nothing about this person apart from their name) to move to any next step.

Does anyone work in this field and could satisfy my curiosity please? It’s so strange! My dad was quite an investor but his name is nothing like the one I have been given and his estate was wound up some years ago now. I have a very unusual surname for the UK as it’s unlikely to be mistaken identity.

so odd!

No idea, but don’t do anything until you’ve spoken with AXA (using the phone number on their website, not whatever contact details were included in the letter you received)

By "without success" do you mean that you haven't had any answer? I'd be listening to @puppyparent and doing any response direct to AXA and not to any connections on the letter. Requiring official documentation means zero in terms of proof of probity of whoever has written to you. In your position, I would be contacting AXA directly and trying to speak to the dead accounts department or whatever they call it. Edit: I did a google on "AXA scam" and there are shedloads of them.

There was a big thing going around a few years back with spoof letters coming from AXA claiming just this. Speak to them on the phone, it's very likely to be a scam I'm sorry.

Thanks all. Seems a bad scam but I might try another number tomorrow and they can confirm directly.

The naming of the third party account holders details without you providing any documentation proving that you are you and the preson they are looking for is you would be a data protection based red flag.

As PPs said use public data to contact them rather anything supplied in the letter.

And I would double check anything at all comming in by email if the email addresses dont match.