By Keira Collin
When a loved one dies, the pain of dealing with the loss, the funeral arrangements and the financial formalities can take a toll. But there are many affordable Buddhist funeral packages in Singapore available too. Unluckily, there are always some wicked people with bad intentions to take the advantage of the people in the vulnerable condition. When you are facing the loss of your loved one, you need to be aware of the scams in order to be on a safer side. Here are a few.
- IRS calls
Scammers tend to make aggressive phone calls claiming to be from the IRS and stating that the deceased owed tax money. They will also threaten you with legal action if you don’t pay the pending taxes. They can also spoof your phone numbers and locations so that the Caller ID indicates that the call is from the IRS. You need to know that IRS never demand money or information in this way. If you get any call or email from the IRS, don’t give them any money or information. You need to follow up with the IRS immediately to verify if the call is legitimate or not.
- Fake life insurance policy
An alive family member may also get a call stating that the deceased had a life insurance policy that may result in a huge sum of money upon death. But the scammer says that deceased had fallen behind on payments. For receiving a payout, a family member would need to pay up the outstanding amount. Generally, the scammer asks to transfer the money through wire or prepaid debit card. You should never give away your personal information over the phone and transfer the money without verifying the legitimacy of the company. Check for any paperwork about insurance that the dead may have had and get it touch with the company directly if there are any possible benefits.
- Fake collection agents
Scammers can also pose as collection agents stating that there is an outstanding balance on a credit card. They may also state that there is an outstanding debt on a car loan or medical bill. They contact you by phone and sometimes even send you fake bills addressed to the deceased stating the outstanding debt. Note that even if the card is legitimate, you may not be responsible to pay for it. Always look for legal advice before you pay off such debt. Also, never hand away money because of the uncertain and illegitimate call asking for it.
