Beware of Funeral Service Streaming Scams on Facebook

Scammers are preying on people who have lost loved ones by posting fake livestream links for funeral services, according to several Internet security news sites including KrebsOnSecurity and Malwarebytes. The aim of the scam appears to be to get people to hand over their credit card information to register for the livestream events.

If you lose a loved one, here’s what to know about this scam and how to avoid signing up for a fake funeral service livestream.

How the funeral streaming scam works

Scammers are creating Facebook groups in memory of people who have recently died and providing links to websites to watch livestreams of their funerals. According to reports received by KrebsOn Security, the funeral service details correspond with the actual dates and times, so these Facebook pages appear legitimate. They also include photos of the recently deceased. 

If you click on the link to watch the livestream, you’ll be directed to a website that requires a credit card payment. However, the websites aren’t operated by funeral homes. They’ve been created by scammers. 

Some of the Facebook groups created in the memory of the deceased also are asking for donations on behalf of the family of the deceased. However, the money goes to scammers. 

These scammers also are creating Facebook groups to take advantage of people looking for livestreams of other events, such as weddings, concerts, graduations and awards ceremonies. If you click on the links to watch the events and enter your credit card information, you’ll be handing your information over to scammers and won’t be connected to the event.

How to avoid this scam

By clicking on links to fake funeral service livestreams, not only do you risk paying a scammer but also missing the actual service of a friend or loved one. To protect yourself, take these steps.

• Go directly to the source. Check the website of the funeral home that is handling the arrangements or the obituary in the local newspaper to get funeral service details. Do not rely on search results for “funeral,” “stream” and name of the deceased on Facebook, which could direct you to a fake Facebook group created in the person’s memory.
• Don’t respond to invites on Facebook to join groups for funeral livestreams. These invitations could come from scammers. To find out if a Facebook page has been set up in memory of someone who has died, contact the person’s family members or funeral home handling the arrangements.
• Don’t provide payment information to register for a funeral livestream. If you’re being asked for a payment, double check with the funeral home or family of the deceased to determine whether you’ve logged onto the correct website. 

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