Police warn of bereavement scam (Wandsworth, Wimbledon and Richmond)
The Metropolitan Police and councils in Wandsworth, Wimbledon and Richmond are warning residents over various bereavement scams amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter posted online and sent to recently bereaved residents cosigned by borough councils in Wandsworth, Merton and Richmond, and promoted by the Met Police, a spokesperson for Trading Standards described their work uncovering ongoing scams designed to take advantage of people newly grieving.
The scams aimed to extract money from relatives or friends of people recently deceased and came in several different forms.
Under the "You Owe Money" section, Trading Standards described the method as follows:
"Someone pretending to be a debt collector may call or write to you to inform you that you are responsible for your loved ones' debts.
"They may put you under pressure to pay immediately. NEVER make a payment or give information over the phone," the letter read.
Under another section entitled "Obituary Scams", Trading Standards warned residents that scammers search recent obituaries for "information they can use to forge identities".
Other scams included scams known as "You Are Entitled To Money", "Long Lost Relative" and even "Clairvoyant Scams" — where an imposter solicits money to deliver a "final message" to a lost loved one.
"Scammers are convincing liars who use every trick in the book to make sure their scams seem plausible," the letter warned.
"Please be aware of possible scams and look out for family members," it added.
In a letter posted online and sent to recently bereaved residents cosigned by borough councils in Wandsworth, Merton and Richmond, and promoted by the Met Police, a spokesperson for Trading Standards described their work uncovering ongoing scams designed to take advantage of people newly grieving.
The scams aimed to extract money from relatives or friends of people recently deceased and came in several different forms.
Under the "You Owe Money" section, Trading Standards described the method as follows:
"Someone pretending to be a debt collector may call or write to you to inform you that you are responsible for your loved ones' debts.
"They may put you under pressure to pay immediately. NEVER make a payment or give information over the phone," the letter read.
Under another section entitled "Obituary Scams", Trading Standards warned residents that scammers search recent obituaries for "information they can use to forge identities".
Other scams included scams known as "You Are Entitled To Money", "Long Lost Relative" and even "Clairvoyant Scams" — where an imposter solicits money to deliver a "final message" to a lost loved one.
"Scammers are convincing liars who use every trick in the book to make sure their scams seem plausible," the letter warned.
"Please be aware of possible scams and look out for family members," it added.
