WINDSOR — Scammers are exploiting the emotions of grieving families by falsely claiming to host livestreams of funeral services and requesting payment for access, Windsor Police Department cautioned today.
The fraudulent scheme involves scammers informing bereaved individuals that they can watch a livestream of a loved one’s funeral for a fee.
To lend credibility to their deceit, the perpetrators have been creating fake social media profiles of the deceased to share links to the nonexistent livestreams.
Authorities emphasized that livestream services for funerals are generally offered free of charge to friends and family members.
The police are urging community members to be vigilant and to verify any requests for payments by directly reaching out to the funeral home or the person responsible for organizing the funeral services.
Anyone who has fallen victim to this scam by making a payment is advised to immediately contact their financial institution to report the fraud and to seek assistance in mitigating potential financial loss.
The Windsor Police Department is actively investigating these incidents and is asking anyone with information to come forward to help prevent further exploitation of those mourning the loss of loved ones.
