Scam artists even target the bereaved

It is a sad fact of life that scam artists frequently prey on the vulnerable. Unfortunately, some of those victims can include people who have recently lost loved ones. The Better Business Bureau cautions those with elderly parents to bear this in mind if their mother or father passes away.

It might make sense to gently counsel the surviving parent and relatives to be alert to the following ploys, which have been reported to BBBs:

▪  Contracts for services allegedly signed before the spouse’s death. Less-than-ethical people offering driveway paving, tree-trimming or other home-related services sometimes visit the surviving spouse in the weeks after the funeral. When the spouse claims they know nothing about having hired the company, the sales rep produces a contract, allegedly signed by the husband before his death. The signature is typically scribbled or blurred and the service is highly priced. The company states that it won’t require the widow to take the service, but insists that she pay the agreed-upon fee. They remind her how “forgetful” her spouse used to be and that is why he never informed her about the contracted work.

▪  Specially-engraved trinkets. After the funeral, the surviving spouse receives in the mail a fountain pen, Bible or other trinket engraved with the name of the recently deceased. Included with the invoice is a note from the business, with a message saying, “I thought you’d want this to remember him by.” Sometimes the trinket is engraved with the name of the surviving spouse, and the note from the company mentions that her husband had ordered the gift especially for her.

▪  Delinquent life insurance premium ploy. A person claiming to be an insurance agent phones the surviving spouse, with an employee allegedly from the funeral home also on the line. The widower is advised that his wife’s life insurance premium was delinquent and he must pay $3,000 so the insurance funds can be released to the funeral home. He is asked for his credit card number to make a partial payment on the premium and to wire the remaining amount to the insurance company. Turns out both the insurance company representative and the funeral home employee are bogus.

Scam artists probably obtain the names and general information of their victims from obituaries published online or in local newspapers. Seniors are advised to check with the BBB whenever they are contacted by an unknown individual or business demanding payment for an unfamiliar product or service. After the loss of a loved one, never make rush decisions without first ensuring you are dealing with a trustworthy company. Also be sure to discuss these issues with other family members and be very cautious of anyone who tries to persuade you to skip this step.

For more tips you can trust, visit www.bbb.org.

This story was originally published April 10, 2017 at 1:16 PM with the headline "Scam artists even target the bereaved."