Protection Against Scams After the Loss of a Loved One

When you lose a loved one, it is always hard for everyone in the family. There are many things that have to be taken care of in the meantime that are not the first thing on your mind when you have lost someone. It can be very overwhelming and with all of the emotions involved, it can be easy for someone to take advantage of you. Don't let someone scam you. There are people out there who use the obituaries from the paper as a way to locate targets. They call families with bogus stories trying pull a scam and collect money. They claim the individual who has passed away owes them money for whatever reason. There are also people who target homes of individuals who pass away. They gather the information from the obituaries, track down the home, and burglarize the property while the family is at the funeral service paying respects. Below, you will see ways you can avoid this.

User your caller id: If you don't recognize the phone number, don't answer the phone or call it back. Especially if it is an unknown or unpublished phone number. This helps to avoid any phone calls from people trying to run a scam.

Keep your house protected: People out to pull a scam will know that you will be away from your home. Also, with so many people coming in and out of your home, it will be hard for neighbors to keep an eye out because they will assume they are people coming to pay respects. If you are going to be away, consider asking one of your neighbors or a friend to stay at your house or keep a look out in case they may see anything suspicious.

Don't give away money: Be careful when going through paperwork. Make sure that the bills you are paying are legit bills such as credit cards, payments for utilities, mortgages, cars etc. Do not make any payments to companies you have never heard of without researching first. Make sure you can find receipts or other logs if you have not heard of the company.

Ask for help: If you are confused with something or if a company you haven't heard of is asking for money, consider getting help from another family member or possibly an attorney. They can help go over any of the paperwork from companies. This can help minimize any confusion, and help draw out any potential scams.