Acting now will help to fight fraud

IF YOU'VE ever thought, "I'll get around to writing my will one day", this is a nudge to make that day soon.

- by Katie Elliott

Britons are being urged to take one "powerful" inheritance step to protect their family legacies after a Government crackdown on fraudsters targeting unclaimed estates.

The so-called "Bona Vacantia" list a public record of estates belonging to people who died without a will - has been pulled offline.

The move follows a BBC investigation during the summer, which revealed that scammers were making bogus claims to nab money that wasn't theirs. For years, the list has helped councils and professional "heir hunters" trace relatives of those who die intestate the legal term for dying without a will.