A funeral directors in Northern Ireland has warned of a scam targeting grieving families.
Malcomson's Funeral Service, located in the Lurgan area of Co Armagh, issued a post on social media urging people to be aware of the scam. It involves scammers posing as family members of the deceased and sharing links claiming to be to the funeral service, before asking for payment to view.
Funeral director Mark Boyce told Belfast Live it has been leaving grieving families "stressed and distressed" at a difficult time, with families being forced to take to social media to warn loved ones.
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Mark explained: "Scammers seem to be going to the notices that are getting alot of publicity, such as notices on Facebook with lots of comments or reactions and shares. The scammers would post a link saying to click this link to view the funeral live, then asking for card details to view the funeral.
"On the day of the funeral, they are making a Facebook page with the deceased's name. They have then been private messaging people and sending a link to click.
"They are also posting links under funeral notices for donations as well. This has been causing stress and distress to grieving families."
A post from Malcomson's Funeral Service warning of the scam said: "Please note you may receive unsolicited messages from individuals posing as the family.
"We recommend you do not accept these 'friend requests' and remember, donations to the nominated charity can only be taken in Malcomson's office or over the phone on our office number. Also any live streaming can only be viewed from Malcomson's YouTube channel or from the church where the funeral is taking place."
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