The death of a family member is a major stressor for those left behind who are dealing with shock and grief. When we lose a loved one, we also become vulnerable emotionally, and scammers know how to play on these emotions. Ruthless criminals prey on family members, particularly widows and widowers, by probing information found in obituaries and other public places. They steal identities, burgle homes, or otherwise con those who are grieving. Adolf Funeral Home is here to help you protect yourself and your family against these crooks. Below are some of the most common scams.
Identity Theft
It’s almost impossible to not hear stories in the news about someone’s stolen identity. Scammers specifically target the deceased because they are unable to check credit or report fraud. These criminals comb through obituaries for personal information, such as dates of birth and death, addresses, and more. In addition, it has become easy for crooks to find or purchase Social Security numbers, open existing or new bank accounts, and file taxes and collect refunds. Luckily, surviving family members can protect themselves by limiting information published in an obituary. It’s also wise to provide copies of death certificates to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and to the big three credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) so criminals are blocked from filing taxes (and getting returns) or opening new accounts in the deceased’s name.
Inheritance Scams
Scammers have been known to contact distant surviving relatives claiming they are entitled to inheritance but they need to pay fees in order to claim it. These scams often take the form of a phone call, letter, or email. If these requests feel suspect, in all likelihood they are indeed scams. To protect yourself, always verify inheritance information by contacting the governing county in which the deceased passed. Never give out a credit card or other information over the phone or by email. And never make a payment in such cases via money order or wire transfer.
Life Insurance and Debt Collector Scams
Criminals often pose as insurance agents claiming the existence of life insurance policies that a grieving family may claim. Of course, the caveat is that the final payment is required to collect the benefits. Scammers also pose as debt collectors, claiming that the deceased had debts and that the family is now responsible. In both cases, scammers prey on the vulnerability of the family at a time when the family’s financial documents may not all be in order. To protect against these scams, be sure to verify policies or debts even exist, and never make payments to unknown or unverified entities.
Adolf Funeral Home and Cremation Services prides itself on providing exemplary customer services. We take every measure to ensure you are satisfied with all your funeral planning and burial needs during this sensitive time of grief and mourning, and will do whatever it takes to make our positive workplace environment translate to your experience with us.
With locations in Berwyn and Willowbrook, we have been serving the Chicago area for over 100 years. We take pride in being large enough to provide professionalism and reliability, yet small enough to provide personalized service. To discover more about how we can serve your needs, please visit our website or call one of our locations today.
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