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How To Smoke Out Scam Artists Targeting Aggrieved

Posted on Apr 1, 2007 by Tom Fragala

Michelle recently blogged about this topic. And the WSJ Sunday has a story on how scammers target families of the recently deceased with tips on how to avoid it.

Families in mourning have yet another burden to contend with in the weeks and months following the death of a loved one: avoiding a growing number of scams designed to take advantage of their grief.

Con artists approach families by phone, mail and personal visits, typically claiming they are owed money after having sold a product or service to the decedent. They can trip up victims with phony contracts or aggressive demands.

Individuals who might react with suspicion under normal circumstances may be too exhausted or overwhelmed when grieving, making them an easy mark.

Their tips include:

  1. Shield the grieving spouse and have one person designated to filter all payment claims
  2. Take charge of the conversation and ask follow-up questions
  3. Get written proof of the claim
  4. Confirm that the person who contacted you really represents the company
  5. Do not make immediate payments. Give yourself time to think about it.


Filed under: Identity Theft, Scams, Tips

Tags: dead, deceased, identitytheft, idtheft

Comments

Jack Payne on Sep 9, 2007

Designating one person to screen all claims is key.
By playing the law of averages, the con men feel they can find at least one person from a bunch who will go along.

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