COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Commerce has issued an alert about a troubling new phone scam, this time targeting families going through some of the most difficult periods in their life.
According to the department, scammers are using written obituaries to gain information about the families of people who have recently died. These criminals will then use this info to call the families while pretending to be representing a funeral home in an effort to steal victims' financial information.
3News' NBC affiliate WLWT in Cincinnati recently reported on clients of Spring Grove Funeral Homes, Cemetery & Arboretum falling prey to the scam. So far, there has not been a confirmation of similar activity in Northeast Ohio, but the Department of Commerce is still urging funeral homes to reach out to their customers and inform them of the situation.
"It's an awful scam that targets families when they’re most vulnerable after losing a loved one," Daphne Hawk, superintendent of the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing, said in a statement. "We want Ohio cemeteries and funeral homes to be aware of this potential scam and let the families they serve know your process. We have resources on how to handle such scams and what to do if you understandably fall for one, too. All that information is in our alert."
Per the Department of Commerce, which has helped register more than 4,100 cemeteries across the state, anyone receiving a purported call from a funeral home that they feel is suspicious should immediately hang up and reach out to the funeral home directly.
