Obituary Scams Have Me Worried

So, first of all…yes, I’ve been having trouble with my internet service. There are days that I want to scream.

I now have to add this statement to all of my video content.

Second, with some scams I definitely feel like the scammers are charting a quick path to hell. This is one of those.

This is also the first time I’ve shared one of my YouTube videos as a podcast on Substack.

We’ll see how this goes.

Finally, a behind-the-scenes note: I’m working on this while watching the second season of The Lord of Rings on Amazon Prime. It just doesn’t seem to have the flavor of the first. Maybe it’s because my attention is divided. But, really, it just doesn’t seem as good as season 1.

Is it just me?

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Now, let’s talk a bit more about obituary scams.

Obituary scams are not new. They’ve been around for awhile.

As a matter of fact, earlier this year, the National Funeral Directors Association post the following on its website:

Last summer we alerted you to a scam targeting families you may have served recently. Unfortunately, the scam continues to spread throughout the country. 

Using recently published obituaries, the scammer, posing as a member of you staff, calls families and tells them they owe another $1,000 (or some other amount) for the service. The scammers get very specific, using the name of the decedent, the funeral home name and even the names of specific funeral directors. 

Some families that have been contacted realized something didn't seem right and hung up on the scammer, later calling the funeral home directly to confirm their bill was paid in full. Unfortunately, others didn't realize they were being targeted and sent money to the scammer. 

There are always scams that exist in many industries. They just change over time.

Obituary scams can be particularly tricky because 1) you are in a very emotional state when someone you love has passed; and 2) you may have more responsibilities to take care of because of a deceased family member.

Many times, the scammer will know that.

The scammer may pressure you to do something immediately, like make a payment. They may threaten to sue you, thereby making a supposed outstanding personal debt a public matter. They may even claim to refuse to provide certain services that are remaining to be completed.

One of the best pieces of advice that I always tell clients is to confirm with the business through independent verification. Make sure that you are speaking with the funeral home or other business that you actually have a relationship with before you give them money.

And if it turns out the it is a scammer, report them to law enforcement.

You can learn more about funeral home scams here.

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