Four ‘funeral Scams’ That Could Be Targeting You After the Death of a Family Member
There are around 2.4 million funerals every year – and no matter how prepared you are, losing loved ones takes a huge toll, both emotionally and financially. The stress of organizing a funeral after losing someone important to you is compounded by the dizzying choices you have to make about what to do next and the costs, which average $8,300 .
In the midst of all the emotional and financial turmoil, it’s easy to let your guard down, which is why scammers love to target mourners. You’re drained, exhausted, and trying to cope with an avalanche of details, getting someone else’s affairs in order and getting ready to let them go, leaving you vulnerable to criminals who see your loss as nothing more than an opportunity to take your money.
Here are four “funeral scams” to look out for when you’re dealing with the loss of a loved one.
Imposter Service Providers
Some of the most common funeral scams are also the simplest: impersonation. Scammers will contact you pretending to be someone else to convince you to part with some of your money. The most common impersonation scams include:
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Funeral home. Scammers contact you, other members of your family, or even friends of the deceased , claiming to be a funeral home and demanding money. They’ll say the bill hasn’t been paid or other expenses have arisen, and the service or funeral will be canceled unless you shell out more money immediately, often requiring you to pay through an app like Zelle . Funeral homes don’t work that way: If you’re not sure who’s calling you or how much you actually owe, hang up and contact the funeral home directly.
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US IRS. Sometimes scammers contact relatives of the deceased by phone and claim that the recently deceased owes taxes. The scammer will insist that you are now responsible and must make immediate payment to avoid penalties and interest. It’s easy to spot: The IRS will never contact you by phone – they will always contact you by mail.
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Life insurance. Scammers will sometimes call claiming to be the deceased’s insurance agent and tell you that they missed the last premium payment and that a larger life insurance payout is possible if you pay your current premiums. This is simply a form of inheritance fraud , but since the death of a spouse or parent can leave people in financial difficulty, it can be quite effective.
Be sure to report the details of your loved one’s death to the appropriate government agencies , and remember: no legal debt needs to be paid immediately over the phone.
“Ghost” or posthumous identity theft
Ghosting is a form of identity theft that targets a recently deceased person. Fraudsters attempt to collect personal and financial information about a person in order to steal their identity before the death can be reported to financial institutions and government agencies. They can then access the deceased’s accounts to steal money or use their identity to open fraudulent lines of credit, which could affect the deceased’s estate. In the immediate aftermath of your loss, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on your loved one’s bills, credit cards, and other financial assets.
Fake funeral broadcasts
One of the latest, most complex and terrifying funeral scams involves fake funeral livestreams . Yes, you read that right: scammers scan death notices and then create social media pages “in memory of the deceased,” advertising a livestream of the funeral (usually with the correct time and date). Anyone wishing to take part is then asked to pay for access, but of course no actual live broadcast occurs. In addition, these grieving people gave their credit card information directly to the scammers.
Your best defense against livestreaming scams is to clearly communicate to anyone who may be interested in honoring the departed that such an event does not exist, and to work with social media platforms to remove fake pages promoting one.
Fake obituaries
Finally, a scam that doesn’t actually involve death or real funerals, but rather fake deaths. Scammers look for people who have a large social media presence and create fake obituary pages for them , shocking their friends and family. They link these pages to advertising platforms to earn money for every click and view, and since they have chosen someone with a large network of friends, family and/or fans, they can make significant money before the deception is discovered.
There’s really no way to prevent this – there’s just too much personal information, so if for some reason you’re a “high traffic” user, you could become a target. Aside from the confusion and emotional distress these fake obituaries cause, there is usually no financial cost to the victim – until your job stops paying you because they think you’re dead , of course.