Scam warning highlighted by local Funeral Directors
It has been brought to our attention that those who may have pre-paid funeral arrangements or have recently paid for a funeral of a loved one are being targeted by a phone scam whereby the scammers ask for the credit card details of the person they are calling to make a “refund”. The scammers then use the details to extract money from the person’s bank account.
Whilst this “refund” type scam is tragically common the targeted victims of this crime are often older members of the community and this scam in particular is also likely to victimise the recently bereaved. We wish to highlight this to as many people as possible so that people can be vigilant. Most funeral planners will not call you for your credit card details if you were to be due any sort of refund.
If any form of refund is genuinely due then it should not be time sensitive so you should not be pressurised into providing your card details there and then.
Our top tips for avoiding falling victim to such scams are:
- Never provide you card details to someone who has called you;
- Ensure that the telephone call has disconnected before contacting the funeral directors;
- Contact the funeral directors you are using on the contact details on their headed paper, not any details passed to you over the phone;
- If you are unsure about a call report it to the Police by calling 101.
How can we help?
When you submit this form an email will be sent to the relevant department who will contact you within 48 hours. If you require urgent advice please call 01202 525333.
