Funeral Home Payment Scam Targets Grieving Families in Central Georgia

A scam targeting grieving families in Central Georgia involves callers impersonating funeral home employees and demanding immediate payments over the phone, often within minutes of funeral arrangements being made. The Houston County Coroner reports nearly a dozen such incidents over the past year, with scammers using real names of funeral directors to convince families to provide credit card information. These fraudulent charges have financially impacted victims, sometimes delaying necessary funeral purchases such as urns. Investigations suggest scammers obtain information from obituaries posted online, though the exact method of acquiring phone numbers remains unclear. Funeral homes emphasize they do not demand payments by phone and advise families to handle payment discussions in person during arrangements. Authorities recommend that families avoid sharing personal financial details via phone calls and verify any payment requests by contacting the funeral home directly. Despite ongoing efforts, the perpetrators have not yet been identified by law enforcement.