London, UK – July 8, 2025
In a significant move that underscores growing concerns over probate fraud, the Bona Vacantia (BVD) of the Government Legal Department has temporarily removed its list of unclaimed estates from its website. This drastic step follows a recent BBC investigation that exposed systemic fraud within the probate system, particularly concerning fraudulent wills.
Fraser and Fraser, a leading firm in probate research, had for months been observing and compiling evidence of a disturbing trend: a rise in highly suspicious wills being presented for estates that would otherwise become Bona Vacantia. They had been actively campaigning, alerting authorities and the wider industry to what they identified as a systemic weakness being exploited by criminal elements. It was their persistent efforts and the compelling patterns of fraud they uncovered that ultimately caught the attention of the BBC.
The BBC, after picking up on Fraser and Fraser’s campaigns and the detailed intelligence they provided, launched their own in-depth investigation. This probe reportedly uncovered mounting evidence of criminal gangs exploiting weaknesses in the digitised probate system. Fraudsters, it appears, have been identifying promising names on the Bona Vacantia list, quickly producing fabricated wills, and then obtaining grants of probate to claim millions of pounds from deceased individuals’ estates, often evading inheritance tax in the process. One alarming case cited by the BBC involved a Hungarian man producing a fraudulent will that named him as the sole beneficiary, despite glaring discrepancies in the document and his supposed address – a pattern that Fraser and Fraser had previously flagged.
Despite presenting detailed evidence, Neil Fraser, a partner at Fraser and Fraser, consistently voiced his frustration at the “worrying lack of response from authorities.” He publicly stated that the firm had submitted reports to various bodies, including:
| The Government Legal Department
| The Principal Probate Registry
| Essex and Surrey Police (with crime reference numbers provided)
| Action Fraud
Yet, the wheels of justice seemed to turn slowly, if at all. Neil Fraser articulated a profound concern about a “systemic failure to protect estates,” arguing that these fraudulent wills not only robbed rightful heirs but also eroded trust in the legal processes designed to safeguard inheritances. Fraser and Fraser received a response from the BV Division stating that, “The Government Legal Department does not have any regulatory power of investigating or enforcement in these matters.”
Neil continues that the “scale of this problem is far greater than many realise, and the lack of response from authorities is deeply concerning.” Fraser and Fraser’s pleas for a more robust verification process, greater human oversight, and a thorough investigation into these activities largely fell on deaf ears for months. It appears that it took a high-profile investigation by a major media outlet like the BBC to finally trigger the necessary official action.
In a development that brings into sharp focus the long-standing warning from Fraser and Fraser, the unclaimed estates list has now been “temporarily removed”. Neil Fraser says “While the temporary removal of the Bona Vacantia list disrupts our work and that of other legitimate heir hunters, it is a necessary step that validates what Fraser and Fraser has been tirelessly campaigning for months.” Neil Fraser continues that, “We’ve consistently presented evidence of fraudulent wills and the systemic weaknesses in the probate process. It’s a testament to the power of investigative journalism that the BBC picked up our concerns and conducted further scrutiny, ultimately forcing this action. This is precisely the kind of change we have been calling for – the implementation of stronger safeguards to prevent fraud and protect the integrity of estates and rightful beneficiaries.”
EXPLORE