LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is warning Michigan residents of the latest frontier for scammers: death. As a recent article on the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) website cautions, posting online death notices heavy with personal information about the deceased could put that person, as well as survivors, on the radar of fraudsters and opportunists.
The victim is targeted by scammers because they are either deceased or emotionally vulnerable from grief of losing a loved one. In either case, the individuals are unlikely to be monitoring their accounts for unauthorized activity.
The details about a lost loved one shared online can be easily gathered by criminals to purchase even more personal data – like the deceased person’s address and social security number – from the dark web. Criminals can open bank accounts, obtain loans, secure health insurance, or file false tax returns in the deceased person’s name.
A grieving person can be more susceptible to manipulation from scammers masquerading as representatives of government agencies, collection agencies, or insurance companies.
Scammers may also pose as long-lost friends, relatives, or romantic partners who contact survivors to reminisce. But this is another tactic to acquire personal information for nefarious purposes. Some criminals might call the funeral home to obtain financial information about the deceased person or their family.
Survivors should be on the lookout for red flags like:
• Bills or credit card activity accrued after your loved one’s death.
• Calls from government agency imposters, debt collectors, or insurance brokers about outstanding taxes, unpaid bills, or unfinished business supposedly left by the deceased.
• Callers who pressure you to pay immediately by wire transfer, gift card, or reloadable cash card.
Family members may be contacted by legitimate creditors, subject to limitations on who and for what purpose. Loved ones should look to the Federal Trade Commission’s article, Debts and Deceased Relatives, for advice on responding to these queries.
Another twist has “obituary pirates” scouring newspapers and websites for details about the deaths of strangers, posting fake obituaries as clickbait on blogs or video sites to generate views and ad revenue.
In some cases, the pirates record themselves reading a summary of the obituary and upload it to their chosen social media platform. Each click earns income for the poster. If the site has a donation link, funds could end up in the hands of a fraudster.
Michigan residents whose deceased loved one has been the target of obituary pirates or fraud can contact the Department of Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team at P.O. Box 30213, Lansing, MI 48909 or call 517-335-7599 (Toll-free: 877-765-8388).
The victim is targeted by scammers because they are either deceased or emotionally vulnerable from grief of losing a loved one. In either case, the individuals are unlikely to be monitoring their accounts for unauthorized activity.
The details about a lost loved one shared online can be easily gathered by criminals to purchase even more personal data – like the deceased person’s address and social security number – from the dark web. Criminals can open bank accounts, obtain loans, secure health insurance, or file false tax returns in the deceased person’s name.
A grieving person can be more susceptible to manipulation from scammers masquerading as representatives of government agencies, collection agencies, or insurance companies.
Scammers may also pose as long-lost friends, relatives, or romantic partners who contact survivors to reminisce. But this is another tactic to acquire personal information for nefarious purposes. Some criminals might call the funeral home to obtain financial information about the deceased person or their family.
Survivors should be on the lookout for red flags like:
• Bills or credit card activity accrued after your loved one’s death.
• Calls from government agency imposters, debt collectors, or insurance brokers about outstanding taxes, unpaid bills, or unfinished business supposedly left by the deceased.
• Callers who pressure you to pay immediately by wire transfer, gift card, or reloadable cash card.
Family members may be contacted by legitimate creditors, subject to limitations on who and for what purpose. Loved ones should look to the Federal Trade Commission’s article, Debts and Deceased Relatives, for advice on responding to these queries.
Another twist has “obituary pirates” scouring newspapers and websites for details about the deaths of strangers, posting fake obituaries as clickbait on blogs or video sites to generate views and ad revenue.
In some cases, the pirates record themselves reading a summary of the obituary and upload it to their chosen social media platform. Each click earns income for the poster. If the site has a donation link, funds could end up in the hands of a fraudster.
Michigan residents whose deceased loved one has been the target of obituary pirates or fraud can contact the Department of Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team at P.O. Box 30213, Lansing, MI 48909 or call 517-335-7599 (Toll-free: 877-765-8388).
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