Freeman Brothers was first established as a funeral director in Horsham, West Sussex, in 1855. The company now has a further three offices across the county – in Billingshurst, Crawley and Hurstpierpoint – and continues to provide a full range of services via a team of staff who have extensive experience in the funeral industry. This week, the topic of a specific type of scam has received media attention, and here we highlight how to avoid this…
This week, BBC Breakfast highlighted a relatively new type of fraud linked to funerals, and we thought that this was an ideal opportunity to reminder our readers of how to identify genuine services. Experiencing a bereavement can be difficult, and for some people, this means that they are more vulnerable than they might usually be, making them more susceptible to fraudulent activity. However, there are some simple steps that you can take in order to remain confident of the service you are receiving.
The cases covered by the BBC referenced Facebook pages which were set up using the Deceased persons’ photos, and purporting to offer a link to the livestream of their funeral. The link is advertised as requiring payment in order to access it, which is simply an excuse for the fraudsters to obtain payment card details in order to steal from cardholders. Pages such as this have also been known to present as fundraising tributes in memory of those who have died. In this instance, the money would supposedly be donated to nominated charities, but isn’t.
So how do you ensure that you receive genuine details in order to participate in funeral donations or online services?
Use links which are shared by a funeral director or other reliable source
One of the issues about this particular incident was where the link originated. Many people are accustomed to links being shared via social media, as it is a free way of sharing information with large numbers for low effort. However, it’s always important to check the source of said information. At the time of writing, Freeman Brothers doesn’t use Facebook, nor do we share links to individual tribute pages or funeral livestreams via social media.
Check that the link is being shared by someone close to the person who has died, and would have the authority to send an official link. Our choice at Freeman Brothers is that we ask the Applicant – the person responsible for liaising with us regarding the funeral arrangements – be the one to share any livestream links. Some people wish to be selective about who they choose to share a livestream link with, and this allows them to maintain that agency.
What should and shouldn’t involve a fee
Livestreams of funerals, when you are offered the opportunity to access them, are available free of charge. There is no need to enter payment card details in order to watch a funeral online, so if this request is made, we would strongly discourage you from proceeding, and instead check for an alternative link.
Many people worry about ‘bothering’ bereaved people with tasks such as requesting details like this, and we would remind you that there is a certain amount of administration involved in arranging a funeral which those who are doing so do prepare themselves for. In much the same way that people send out wedding invitations and expect to have to manage responses, they also accept this responsibility when the event being organised is a funeral.
It may also help you to frame your approach by saying something like, ‘I’d like to support you by attending the funeral remotely, and therefore want to check ahead of time that I have the correct details. Please could you send me the link and any other necessary information at your convenience?’.
If you are intending to donate to a charity in memory of the person who has died, again check that you are using the official tribute page. This is usually available once a funeral date and time has been confirmed, but not before. It is common in the funeral industry for tribute pages to be provided by a number of experienced suppliers – Freeman Brothers works with MuchLoved, and all pages are found via a directory on our website; we regularly share this main link via our social media pages, so that people can easily navigate to the list and find the specific page they require.
Again, if you are uncertain about the legitimacy of a link, check with those who have arranged the funeral and they will be able to tell you.
When charges are made by Freeman Brothers
A frequent concern in the early stages of arranging funerals is when payment will have to be made. This is often because many people are aware of the Deceased person’s assets being frozen until probate has been completed, and we are always happy to offer reassurance.
Our policy at Freeman Brothers is that, if a prepaid funeral plan is not in place, the first time that payment is necessary is when the funeral arrangements are booked and confirmed. At this stage, we will require payment of the third party fees (such as a fee for cremation, the cost of the coffin, and payment for doctor’s paperwork). The account for the balance of the funeral will be sent out a week after the funeral has taken place. This allows time for funds to be made available. Additionally, banks are able to authorise release of funds from the Deceased person’s accounts in order to pay for a funeral.
Advice is always given freely and without obligation by Freeman Brothers – if you have any questions, please get in touch.
