(UnitedVoice.com) – Scammers are always looking for new ways to take advantage of unsuspecting victims. They often target the most vulnerable people. But they have sunken to a new low with the latest scam.
Early in the summer, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) informed the public of a scheme involving people grieving the recent loss of someone they love. The federal agency said the scammers pretend to be funeral home employees and call families demanding they pay more money or the funeral would be canceled.
The FTC gave tips to the American people so they would know how to avoid becoming a victim. The first thing it recommended was to resist pressure from the other person. The agency explained honest businesses always give consumers time to make a decision, and if they don’t, they are scammers.
The next step to take is to call the funeral home directly. The number is listed on the material it gave you when you set up the service. Finally, the FTC stated nobody should send money to the alleged funeral home via cryptocurrency, a wire transfer, or a gift card.
Jennifer Lothspeich, a former employee at CBS 8 in La Mesa, California, had an experience with one of these scammers. Her husband, Dustin, died in March 2023 due to health issues at just 40 years old. The couple had a 2-year-old son. The month after his death, she said she received a phone call from a funeral home saying she owed $49.90.
The call was actually from a scammer. Lothspeich said they even spoofed the phone number for the funeral home. After some back and forth, the caller told her they were going to refuse her service. She said she started panicking about her husband’s body, but after making some calls, she learned it was all fake. Lothspeich said she was disgusted by “how monstrous people can be.”
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