(WWJ) — Attorney General Dana Nessel is warning Michiganders about a new type of scammer preying on the vulnerable: “obituary pirates.”
The AG’s office says scammers are targeting victims of recently passed loved ones by using personal information found in obituaries.
“Posting online death notices heavy with personal information about the deceased could put that person, as well as their survivors, on the radar of fraudsters and opportunists,” Nessel’s office said in a press release.
In obituary scams, victims are targeted “because they are either deceased or emotionally vulnerable from the grief of losing a loved one.” In either case, the AG’s office says, the victims are unlikely to be monitoring their accounts for unauthorized activity.
Nessel’s office says scammers use details about the deceased that are shared online can “easily be gathered by criminals to purchase even more personal data” from the dark web. That includes the deceased person’s address, social security number and more.
The scammers then use that information to open bank accounts, obtain loans, purchase health insurance or file false tax returns in that person’s name, according to Nessel’s office.
“It is almost beyond belief that there are people who are so unethical that they would exploit another’s loss for profit,” Nessel said. “Because these individuals do exist, we need to be mindful that the impulse to share special traits about a deceased loved one online can open up avenues for deception and scams.”
Grieving people can be more susceptible to manipulation from scammers “masquerading as representatives of government agencies, collection agencies, or insurance companies,” the AG’s office says/
Scammers may also pose as long-lost friends, relatives, or romantic partners who contact the deceased’s survivors out of the blue to reminisce. But this is “yet another tactic to acquire personal information to use for nefarious purposes.”
Some criminals may even call the funeral home to “stealthily obtain” financial information about the deceased person or their family.
As a recent article published by AARP advises, to avoid falling victim, survivors should be on the lookout for red flags like:
• Bills or credit card activity for expenses accrued after your loved one’s death.
• Calls from government agency imposters, debt collectors, or insurance brokers about outstanding taxes, unpaid bills, or unfinished business supposedly left by the deceased.
• Callers who pressure you to pay immediately by wire transfer, gift card, or reloadable cash card.
Another twist on the obituary scam has “obituary pirates” scouring newspapers and websites for details about the deaths of strangers, fabricating additional details, and posting the fake obituaries as clickbait on blogs or video sites to generate views and ad revenue, the AG’s office says.
In some cases, the pirates “simply record themselves reading a summary of the obituary and then upload it to their chosen social media platform. Each click earns income for the poster. If the online obituary site has a donation link, those funds may not reach their intended destination but could end up in the hands of a fraudster.
Michigan residents whose dead loved one has been the target of obituary pirates or fraud are urged to contact the Department of Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team by calling 517-335-7599 or visiting the AG’s website.