When Grief Becomes a Target: Bereavement Scams

After a loss, families deserve support — not scams. Unfortunately, criminals often target grieving loved ones. Understanding how bereavement scams work can help you spot the warning signs in the wake of a loved one’s death.

How It Works

• Someone contacts you from the funeral home or cemetery about a problem with your form of payment.
• A long-lost relative of the deceased reaches out to offer sympathy or reminisce.
• A “spiritual adviser” offers to connect you with your loved one from the afterworld.

What You Should Know

• Scammers comb through obituaries, funeral home websites, and online memorials to find names and personal details they can use to target families.
• In some cases, criminals use a deceased person’s information to commit identity fraud by illicitly obtaining sensitive personal information to take over existing financial accounts or create new ones.
• Other tactics involve posing as a distant relative or old friend of the deceased to build a trust relationship over time that can evolve into a scam aimed at stealing inheritance money.

What You Should Do

• Consider the public nature of an obituary and online memorials, and limit information that could be used to deceive you.
• If the funeral home calls demanding money, hang up and call them back at a number you know to be legitimate. 
• If a “long-lost” relative or friend reaches out, ask other family members or longtime friends if they know the person.
• It is not a legitimate business if it seeks payment by wire transfer, cryptocurrency, gift cards or peer-to-peer apps.