A Queensland funeral home was forced to issue a warning to the public after being caught up in a callous live stream scam.
Callide Dawson Funeral in Biloela was alerted to friend requests being sent from a fake Facebook account with the same funeral notice the home had posted on their official page.
However, the fraudulent 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.
“We are dismayed by the recent attempts of scammers to direct families away from the official website of Callide Dawson Funerals to social media sites that are sadly for the purpose of defrauding those who are grieving a loved one,”the funeral home wrote in a media release.
“While this is an isolated incident that has come to our attention, it appears to be a practice that is sadly becoming more commonplace for anyone conducting an event or livestreaming.
“Live streaming offered by CDF will only ever have the link available on our webpage www.callidedawsonfunerals.com.au and it is placed at the bottom of the deceased funeral advertisement.”
Callide Dawson’s statement emphasised that they would never send you a Facebook friend request or ask for personal details or payment to participate in a live stream service for a loved one.
“Our staff are all local people with strong involvement in the community, and we will work with you to ensure your precise wishes are carried in every aspect of the service we provide, and this support is provided with the utmost integrity, despite those wishing to bring more hardship to those already grieving,” it read.
The Australian Funeral Directors Association CEO Dale Gilson says it’s more important than ever “to be aware of the everyday attempts to scam families and friends, both professionally and personally”.
“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.”
