I recently had a great Aunt pass away.  As we said our goodbyes and shared memories of her, I spoke to my cousin (her daughter) about a few fraud attempts we encountered when my grandfather passed just a few years before.

I was not surprised that she wasn’t aware these schemes existed, as I had also not been aware either.

When a loved one passes away, there are several known scams that surviving family members should be on the lookout for.
  1. Debt Scams. Fraudsters will pretend to with the IRS or a debt collection company claiming that the deceased has a balance that is due immediately.
  2. Funeral Scam. Bad actors may claim they are with the mortuary or cemetery collecting on an outstanding balance.
  3. Fake Inheritance Scam. Scammers will claim that the passed person left them an inheritance and need to collect fees to settle and provide the payout.
Be wary of any unsolicited call or communication requesting payment.  It is important to verify the legitimacy of any request before divulging any information or paying any monies to these types of requests.  Verify the request is legitimate by contacting the company or government agency directly, using a phone number obtained outside the email, phone call or mailed letter requesting payment.

Lastly, be sure to notify the credit bureaus of your loved one’s passing to avoid the theft of their identity.

Losing a loved one is hard.  Being aware of these fraud schemes, protecting yourself against them and sharing this information with your loved ones can help ensure that a challenging time is not made any tougher.

Take care of yourself and each other.


S. Rachel Guerrero | VP – Treasury Management Sales
O: (480) 571-7697 | C: (480) 209-3941
8501 N Scottsdale Rd. Suite 120 | Scottsdale, AZ | 85253