A celebrant has warned fraudsters may be attempting to scam grieving family and friends into paying to watch fake livestreams of funeral services.

Funeral celebrant Craig Richardson, from Bury St Edmunds, said recently some of his clients have been sent fake links by scammers claiming to be for livestreamed funeral services, a common option for when family members live far away or cannot attend in person. 

Mr Richardson said the scam seems to initially charge the viewer £15 for the stream, which should be free for all viewers as the client will have already pre-paid for it.

Funeral Celebrant Craig RichardsonFuneral celebrant Craig Richardson (Image: Craig Richardson)

He said he is worried these fraudsters could then go on to take card details and use funds in the targeted accounts.

"I see my clients when they are right at the worst point of time. These scammers are targeting the vulnerable," he said. 

"If you are vulnerable, and a lot of people that can't attend a service are elderly or unwell, they may want to sit and watch it on a tablet or iPhone. They might not know that they don't have to pay." 

Mr Richardson has warned of scammers targeting mournersMr Richardson has warned of scammers targeting mourners (Image: Craig Richardson)

Mr Richardson said an elderly woman, who was a friend of one of his clients, almost fell victim to the scam when trying to open a stream, but that her family and bank helped her stop her card before more money could be taken. 

"They are just taking advantage of people when they are struggling and it is just horrible. It is a horrible thing to do," he added.

He said anyone who is unsure about a link should check with the funeral directors and the family, who will be able to provide it directly.

A spokesperson for Suffolk Trading Standards said: "If a member of the public is contacted out of the blue offering a livestream of a funeral via social media for a fee then Trading Standards advice is not to pay.

“Often these profiles have been set up recently or have limited information on who they are. If you are unsure, then speak to relatives of the deceased, to the funeral directors, or contact the crematorium to find out if they are aware of the person in question.”

They added that the National Association of Funeral Directors guidance can be found online and any scams can be reported to Trading Standards on 0808 223 1133.