Overview

• A recent case cited by authorities involved a 77-year-old widower who received a fake distress call days after the funeral but ended the attempt without loss.
• Police highlight frequent “shock call” schemes in which callers claim a relative caused a serious accident and demand bail.
• Obituaries often reveal names, relationships, timing of services, and sometimes addresses, enabling criminals to research phone numbers and tailor their approach for years.
• Beyond calls, offenders may send bogus invoices or misuse a deceased person’s identity to order goods, with such offenses hard to quantify in crime statistics.
• The Bestatterverband Hessen advises against listing private addresses and recommends directing condolence letters to funeral homes, while police also warn about burglary risks during services and urge planning for digital account access and deletion.