This month in Scam corner we are highlighting how scammers can target recently bereaved families. This is an emotional and stressful experience and sadly there are people who may try to take advantage. It is important to be aware and protect yourself and family members, particularly those who are vulnerable.
In all of these scams the fraudsters are searching publicly available online funeral notices and obituaries to find information they can use. Please be careful what you include in these and don’t put details like date or place of birth or give out your full address
Bogus Donation & Funeral Streaming Services
In this scam the scammers are posing as bereaved family members, sending links to mourners with requests for payment to view video streams of funerals. These same fraudsters are also setting up fake donation pages encouraging potential victims to hand over personal information that can be used to commit authorised push payment (APP) fraud. Reports have been received of fake donation pages appearing on platforms including Facebook and JustGiving.
Remember that a funeral is a public event that you should never be charged to attend in person or online. Don’t trust links for donations found online, always check with the official funeral director for information about donations.
Long-Lost Relative & Money Owning Scams
In this scam the scammers are posing as a long lost relative as they know the death of someone is often a time when families reconnect. The scammers claim to be ‘long lost relatives’ who are owed something.
- If you don’t remember the relative or have never met them, it could be an imposter.
- Before any transactions, confirm their identity with other relatives.
- If they insist, they were owed inheritance, a debt or property, consult a solicitor.
A similar scam is the ‘money owing’ scam where the fraudster claims to be a debt collector and that your are responsible for the deceased debts.
‘You are entitled to money’ Scams
In this scam the scammers claim to be an ‘insurance agent’ who is notifying you that the recently deceased left a large life insurance policy pay out. But there is just one ‘final premium payment’ to be made. They may then put you under pressure to pay quickly so they policy can be paid to you.
If you receive one of these calls take time to find the phone number for the insurance company concerned yourself and NEVER make such a payment over the phone.
If you or someone you know has been affected, please contact Action Fraud.
