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Beware the funeral scam targeting mourners

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Losing a loved one is the worst time of a person’s life. But that doesn’t stop opportunistic cyber criminals. In fact, they are targeting mourners in rising numbers with a range of scams to exploit grieving individuals. One of the key scams alarming funeral directors are fake live-stream memorials.
In a bid to protect both mourners and funeral directors, the Australian Funeral Directors Association (AFDA) has partnered with Cyber Wardens to help members boost their cyber security measures.

What is a fake live-stream memorial?

Online farewells have grown in popularity since the pandemic, allowing people to attend from any location.
But scammers are exploiting the trend in a bid to fleece mourners, with requests for payment to attend often sent through social media.
AFDA CEO Dale Gilson says scammers are using fake Facebook accounts with information and photos of the deceased, and may request information such as credit card details, and donations to family members.
The association says funeral directors have been issuing warnings to families and their communities after being alerted to scams targeting their businesses.
Mr Gilson said he was not aware of anyone falling victim to the scam, but told media it was “the lowest you can get.”

Look for red flags

In one case, Callide Dawson Funeral in Queensland was made aware of friend requests being sent from a fake Facebook account with the same funeral notice on the funeral home’s official page.
The page contained a fake link to a live stream, which the business says was “sadly for the purpose of defrauding those who are grieving a loved one”.

The scammer’s page contained misspelt words (“fuleral” and “livestram”) and was littered with poor grammar, which are common cyber security red flags.
Fake GoFundMe and memorial sites are other ways scammers are attempting to prey on the grieving, and Mr Gilson recommended people always check the legitimacy of sites with family members before donating.

Why every funeral business needs a Cyber Warden

The Cyber Wardens program, an initiative of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA), is accredited for professional learning, giving funeral directors one point towards their CPD requirements when they complete the online program.
The Australian government-funded course is designed for small businesses, and uses simple language and comprehensive training tips to enhance cyber security.
“It’s more important than ever to be aware of the everyday attempts to scam families and friends, both professionally and personally,” Mr Gilson says.
“Our members need to be at the forefront of protecting families who are grieving. We are particularly encouraging smaller operators to undertake the Cyber Wardens program, as they don’t always have the resources to hire experts in this space.”
The course highlights the importance of cyber-safe measures such as multi-factor authentication, strong passwords and passphrases, data backup, and automatic software updates.
These basic tools can help equip funeral directors and their staff to defend their businesses against some of the top cyber threats such as phishing attacks, business email compromise, and online banking fraud.
Funeral businesses can also learn how to identify and respond to red flags, such as suspicious attachments on emails or social media messages, unexpected invoices and a change in banking details for a regular supplier.

COSBOA CEO Luke Achterstraat says small businesses such as funeral homes can start their cyber safety journey by enrolling in the new, 10-minute Cyber Wardens Foundations program.
This module is an introduction to the Cyber Wardens core program, and does not accrue CPD points.
He says it affords small businesses a quick, self-paced introduction to the key cyber awareness principles.
“The last thing grieving family and friends need to worry about is cyber criminals trying to exploit their loss,” he says.

In conclusion

“The free Cyber Wardens program teaches the basic tools to defend your business against cyber threats, and the knowledge to help protect the families you work with at the most vulnerable time of their lives. It only takes ten minutes to begin the journey to securing your business.”

Learn easy and simple cyber security tips for your small business

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