Rash of Funeral Home Scam Calls Reported in Bradenton

The Bradenton Police Department warns the public of a spike in funeral home scam calls in our area. Several incidents of the scam have been reported in the past 24 hours.  

Imposters pretend to be from the funeral home selected by grieving family members and tell victims that unless they pay more money immediately, the funeral will be canceled. BPD has confirmed that the scammers are using spoofing technology to change the caller ID to appear that the call originates from the funeral home hired by the family. Often, scammers use information that appears in obituaries to target victims.  

If you receive one of these calls:  

• Hang up.  

• Resist the pressure to act immediately.  

• Contact the funeral home directly using a phone number you know is verified, not the one from the scammer’s phone call, text message, or email.  

• Do not provide any form of payment, including PayPal or other wire transfer services, cryptocurrency, or prepaid gift cards.   

If you believe you have been a victim of one of these scams, contact your funeral home immediately and report the crime to the Bradenton Police Department at 941-932-9300.  

More information on common scams is available here.