We at Freeman Brothers have previously blogged on the increase of fake funeral webcast links, and the story has been in the news again. As a result, we wanted to share some tips on how to spot these issues, and what to do to avoid them
Is a funeral webcast link genuine?
Our policy as a funeral director is that, when requested, we will set up a webcast for a funeral service. The details of how to access this will then be supplied by ourselves to the funeral’s Applicant – that is, the person taking care of making the arrangements. Unless specifically requested by the Applicant, we will not give details out directly to those who wish to view the service.
Some Applicants will choose to add details for how to access the webcast to the online tribute page, which is hosted by MuchLoved. Freeman Brothers does not currently have a presence on Facebook, so any accounts there pretending to speak on behalf of the company can immediately be regarded as fake.
How the fake links are shared
As reported by the BBC last year, and ITV more recently, the scammers are typically circulating links via Facebook, and targeting those who were linked to the deceased person. They tend to do this on the day of the funeral, when emotions are high and people are feeling pressured. It could be that they send you a message, you might be invited to engage with a page, or you may even receive a friend request from an account which looks like it is representing the person who has died.
Generally, there will be a link to click and then a fee to be paid – this is a big warning sign, as no links generated by ourselves for this purpose will require the sharing of personal details, or payment to be made. If you click a link only to find that you are being asked to pay, or to share personal information, please close the link without proceeding further.
How to protect yourself against fake links
One of the best things you can do is be organised. It’s common to worry about contacting a family member or friend of the deceased person – lots of people think that they are being ‘bothered’ whilst they are grieving. We’d like to reassure you that many people are expecting to be contacted during the process of organising a funeral – they are generally aware that people want to attend, or contribute in some way, and that this will therefore mean being a point of contact.
If you have been invited, are unable to attend in person, and are aware that there is the ability to watch online, make sure that you request the details far in advance. Generally, we as a funeral director are able to share details for accessing a webcast as soon as a funeral is officially booked. So, if you are aware of the date and time of the service, the Applicant will probably have that information immediately available and be able to send you it at least several days prior to the funeral.
By being prepared, you will have the confidence that you have the correct details, and will be able to avoid asking the deceased person’s close friends or family for this information on the day, when they are more likely to be doing other things. It is then a case of reassuring yourself that, should you be contacted at the last minute by a fraudster, you can happily ignore them and proceed using the details you have already received from a legitimate source.
Advice provided by Freeman Brothers is always freely given without obligation, so please get in touch with us should you require assistance.
