Imposters pretending to be from a funeral home are threatening families that their funerals will be canceled if they don’t pay more immediately, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
The FTC called the new scam “despicable,” saying the imposters are preying on grieving families.
The FTC says, here’s how to spot and avoid this scam:
Resist the pressure to act immediately. Honest businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is a scammer.
Contact the funeral home directly. Use a phone number that you know is real, not one you got from the scammer’s text, email, or phone call. If you don’t know it, you’ll find it on the General Price List you got from the funeral home.
Know how scammers tell you to pay. Scammers want to get your money immediately, and in a way that makes it hard to track them down and hard for you to get your money back. Never pay someone who insists you pay with a wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or a gift card. And never deposit a check and send money back to someone.
If someone tried to rip you off, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.