The family of a man from Inverness was targeted in a live stream scam on the day of his funeral, according to his daughter Emma Johnstone. Mourners were sent a link on social media posing as a way to watch the service online. However, the link was designed to scam money from those who were unable to attend. As a result, Ms. Johnstone described those behind the scheme as “disgusting”, adding that their main goal is to make money.
The scam was discovered when mourners who clicked on the link were prompted to enter their bank details before they could watch the service. The link was initially thought to be from the funeral directors who were running a legitimate streaming service. But when relatives clicked on the link, they realized it was a trap to steal their money. Ms. Johnstone alerted all those who had been sent the link once they realized it was a scam.
Before his passing, Ms. Johnstone’s father, William Johnstone, had lost his wife four years ago. He worked for Highland Industrial Services in Inverness and also worked as a local delivery driver for Dennis’ takeaway. A family man with strong community ties, he was always there to support his family and friends.
This scam, which occurred on one of the most difficult days of Emma Johnstone’s life, raises concerns over similar scams and frauds at the time of funerals. Halde Pottinger, a celebrant who officiates at weddings and funerals in the Highlands, recently lost his brother and was subsequently targeted by scammers on Facebook. Although people may refuse to believe that such fraudsters exist, Mr. Pottinger states that funeral scams are among the “most cruel” types of frauds to take place. Funeral director Calum Ross urged people to remain vigilant against such scams and to be aware that no funeral director will ever ask for payment to view live streams.
Social media platforms such as Facebook have launched investigations into scams and have invested resources to protect its users against fraud. The companies also work closely with law enforcement agencies to support investigations into such crimes. The police are advising individuals to visit their website for guidance and insight into how to protect themselves from these types of frauds
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