ALERT: Undertaker warns public of online scam targeting mourners
'This is a new low for humanity'
An undertaker in County Louth has warned members of the public of an online scam targeting mourners.
Taking to Facebook, Quinns Funeral Homes in Dundalk warned that a person or group are creating Facebook profiles relating to high interest funerals, taking photos from the person's own social media pages to populate the profile and offering a link to view the service live.
Anyone who clicks on the link is then taken to a page asking them to create an account and enter their financial details.
One such page that has been created claimed to be offering a live-stream the funeral service of 25 year-old Kate Keenan from Knockbridge in Co. Louth who tragically died in a collision in the early hours of Monday morning.
In the post, the undertakers state that gardai are aware of the profile and are dealing with the scam locally and nationally.
“We need to be clear. No one will ever be charged a fee or need to register an account to view any funeral we are conducting. It will either be available for people to see or restricted if that is the particular family’s wishes. This is a sickening scam utilising cherished images of a loved one to entice those who were touched by that person’s life to part with money to view their funeral service. This is a new low for humanity," reads the post.
The warning from Quinns is not the first regarding profiles set up on social media relating to deaths and funerals.
Last year, singer Daniel O'Donnell warned his legion of fans not to to be duped by people claiming to be him on social media following the death of his mother-in-law Marion.
"I'm not a great social media person but I have a Facebook page that usually is run by the record company - Majella's mother passed away and we announced her death (on Facebook)," he told Katie Hannon on RTÉ's Liveline.
"Obviously, people kindly put up a lot of messages of sympathy," he added.
Daniel told listeners a fake Facebook profile was subsequently set up that claimed to be him.
"It was me replying to these people who were sending messages of sympathy and engaging with them. These people (fraudsters) never sleep. It doesn't matter what the situation is - be it sad or happy or difficult or whatever, they are there trying to take advantage of people," he added.