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Following the 7/7/25 suspension, the Bona Vacantia list of unclaimed estates is live again

12/01/2026

The Bona Vacantia list of unclaimed estates in England and Wales has now resumed publication, following its suspension on 7 July 2025 due to concerns around the increased risk of probate fraud.

A BBC investigation suggested the list was being exploited by organised criminals to obtain grants of representation over estates containing unoccupied property fraudulently. The list includes information that may help people identify estates to which they may have an entitlement and has been publicly available for decades, with no restrictions on who can consult it.

Some probate research firms suggested that the computerisation of the probate process in 2017 had made such fraud easier, enabling fraudsters to pose as the deceased's friends and present forged wills for the grant of probate. The government was therefore urged to tighten security on unclaimed estates before considering republication of the Bona Vacantia list. One company, Fraser and Fraser, said the scale of the problem is far greater than many realise and urged the authorities to respond more speedily to its concerns.

After the list was removed from public view in July 2025, the Bona Vacantia Division (BVD) conducted a security review. This found no evidence that the list has been the source of fraud. However, the BVD has now decided it is prudent to restrict the data provided to protect the list's integrity, while continuing to provide sufficient information for people to identify a family member.

Previously, the list typically included the deceased's name, date of death, place of death, birth date, and, sometimes, the estimated value of the estate.

The published data now

  • Shows only the deceased's name, date of death, area of death, and case reference number.
  • 'Any requests for more information will be considered in accordance with all relevant statutory requirements, says the BVD.

The list's publication will be kept under review. If there are any further allegations of fraud or misuse, the BVD may restrict or remove access without notice.

Sources

FRAUD DATA PROTECTION LEGAL

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As well as owning and publishing Comsure's copyrighted works, Comsure wishes to use the copyright-protected works of others. To do so, Comsure is applying for exemptions in the UK copyright law. There are certain very specific situations where Comsure is permitted to do so without seeking permission from the owner. These exemptions are in the copyright sections of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended)[www.gov.UK/government/publications/copyright-acts-and-related-laws]. Many situations allow for Comsure to apply for exemptions. These include 1] Non-commercial research and private study, 2] Criticism, review and reporting of current events, 3] the copying of works in any medium as long as the use is to illustrate a point. 4] no posting is for commercial purposes [payment]. (for a full list of exemptions, please read here www.gov.uk/guidance/exceptions-to-copyright]. Concerning the exceptions, Comsure will acknowledge the work of the source author by providing a link to the source material. Comsure claims no ownership of non-Comsure content. The non-Comsure articles posted on the Comsure website are deemed important, relevant, and newsworthy to a Comsure audience (e.g. regulated financial services and professional firms [DNFSBs]). Comsure does not wish to take any credit for the publication, and the publication can be read in full in its original form if you click the articles link that always accompanies the news item. Also, Comsure does not seek any payment for highlighting these important articles. If you want any article removed, Comsure will automatically do so on a reasonable request if you email info@comsuregroup.com.  

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As well as owning and publishing Comsure's copyrighted works, Comsure wishes to use the copyright-protected works of others. To do so, Comsure is applying for exemptions in the UK copyright law. There are certain very specific situations where Comsure is permitted to do so without seeking permission from the owner. These exemptions are in the copyright sections of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended)[www.gov.UK/government/publications/copyright-acts-and-related-laws]. Many situations allow for Comsure to apply for exemptions. These include 1] Non-commercial research and private study, 2] Criticism, review and reporting of current events, 3] the copying of works in any medium as long as the use is to illustrate a point. 4] no posting is for commercial purposes [payment]. (for a full list of exemptions, please read here www.gov.uk/guidance/exceptions-to-copyright]. Concerning the exceptions, Comsure will acknowledge the work of the source author by providing a link to the source material. Comsure claims no ownership of non-Comsure content. The non-Comsure articles posted on the Comsure website are deemed important, relevant, and newsworthy to a Comsure audience (e.g. regulated financial services and professional firms [DNFSBs]). Comsure does not wish to take any credit for the publication, and the publication can be read in full in its original form if you click the articles link that always accompanies the news item. Also, Comsure does not seek any payment for highlighting these important articles. If you want any article removed, Comsure will automatically do so on a reasonable request if you email info@comsuregroup.com.