Funeral Home Scam Targets Grieving Families: Bradenton Police

BRADENTON, FL — Authorities are warning the public of a funeral home scam involving imposters preying on people who recently lost a loved one, according to a Bradenton Police Department news release. At least two cases have been reported to the agency.

Imposters pretend to be from the funeral home selected by grieving family members. The
scammers tell victims unless they pay more money immediately, the funeral will be canceled, police said.

The scammers use spoofing technology to change the caller ID to make it seem as though the call originates from the funeral home hired by the family.

• Hang up.
• Resist the pressure to act immediately.
• Contact the funeral home directly using a phone number you know is verified, not the one from the scammer’s phone call, text message or email.

• Do not provide any form of payment, including PayPal or other wire transfer service, cryptocurrency or prepaid gift card.

Those who believe they’ve been a victim of one of these scams are asked to contact their funeral home and to report the crime to the Bradenton Police Department at 941-932-9300.

CrimeStoppers can also be contacted at manateecrimestoppers.com or 866-634-8477 (TIPS).
File a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office online at www.myfloridalegal.com or by phone at 1-866-9-NO SCAM.