Attorney General Jay Jones has issued a warning to Virginians about scams targeting families who have recently lost loved ones. The alert comes during National Consumer Protection Week and addresses fraudulent activities where individuals pose as funeral home staff, demanding immediate or additional payments from grieving family members.
“It’s hard to imagine anything worse than preying on a person who has just lost a beloved family member or loved one,” said Attorney General Jones. “Unfortunately, there are scam artists actively posing as funeral home staff and illegally demanding immediate or additional payments from grieving family members by claiming that the funeral will be canceled or other services will not be provided unless these payments are made immediately. I urge Virginians to learn more about these scams and their rights if they become victims of these scams.”
Scammers reportedly use information from published obituaries to contact families and impersonate funeral home employees. They threaten that services will be withheld unless urgent payments are made.
The Office of the Attorney General of Virginia provides consumer protection resources, including support for identity theft and fraud reporting, which can assist those affected by such scams, as noted on the official website. In addition to consumer protection, the office supports civil rights enforcement, victim assistance programs, and legal advocacy in areas such as human trafficking and domestic violence (official website). The Attorney General also offers legal counsel to state agencies while promoting public safety across the Commonwealth of Virginia (official website).
Virginians with questions or concerns regarding consumer matters are encouraged to contact the Consumer Protection Section of the Attorney General’s office.
