Merseyside Police offer advice about funeral live stream scams exploiting bereaved families

Merseyside Police are urging the public to stay vigilant after reports of scammers creating fake social media accounts to exploit the tragic events of funerals by offering fake live streams in exchange for donations.

The Merseyside Police Cyber Unit has identified several Facebook accounts that falsely promoted a live stream of Bebe King’s funeral on Saturday, 17 August.

These accounts included a link to a fake donations page, tricking people into giving money under false pretences.

As the funeral of Elsie Dot Stancombe approaches on Friday, 23 August, police are offering advice to help people avoid falling victim to these heartless scams.

Detective Inspector Steve Frame said:

“We are aware of social media accounts offering people the chance to view live streams of funerals in exchange for donations.

“To take advantage of such a tragic incident is appalling and we want to give people advice on how to avoid being scammed.

“Many frauds start by tricking people into entering their details into an apparently legitimate site. Take care when accessing websites, particularly those promoted by social media accounts – they may not be what they appear to be.”

• Never automatically click on a link in an unexpected email, text or social media post. 
• Remember, email addresses and phone numbers can be spoofed, so don’t use those as a means to verify that a message or call is authentic.
• The best way to get in touch with a company is to use a known email or phone number, such as the one on the back of your bank card.

For more information on cyber crime and how to report it to Merseyside Police click here.

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