3 Scams To Watch For After Losing A Loved One

If you’ve recently lost a loved one and suspect that you are being targeted for a scam, call us at 262-658-4101. We can help you determine if what you’re being told is legitimate. We’re here to help you.

Here are 3 common scams you should be aware of:

1. “You owe money”: A common scam is a ‘debt collector’ calls to tell you that you are responsible for the deceased debts and need to pay now. Because they did their homework and have personal information about your loved one, they can sound legitimate and even threaten legal action. A similar scam is someone claims to have important financial or legal documents belonging to the deceased, but needs a fee to release them to you.  

2. “You are entitled to money”: An ‘insurance agent’ notifies you that your loved one left you a large life insurance policy (usually over $1M). The full amount will be wired to you, but first you must make the final premium payment. A similar scam is a ‘lawyer’ tells you that you were left an inheritance, and just need to pay a fee to process it. Unfortunately these are cons that some fall victim to, because we want to believe it. Maybe they did leave you a secret inheritance or insurance policy, but more than likely this is a cruel scam. Regardless, same as above, ask for details and if it’s a crook they will quickly make up a reason to get off the phone.

3. “Passing of your friend”: Taking advantage of the tragic news, criminals email fake funeral notifications. Featuring a name and logo of a real funeral home, the message you receive appears to be an invitation to a funeral or remembrance service for an unnamed friend.You are invited to get the details by clicking on a link or opening an attachment. However, when you do that, malware is unleashed on your computer to steal files, passwords and other sensitive information. Subject lines are anything that implies a “Funeral notification” or “passing of your friend.”