Illinois Woman Nearly Loses $5,000 In “Funeral Fund” Scam

It's mind-boggling to consider the current amount of different scams being used against Illinois residents and the rest of the country here at the midpoint of 2025.

These are the top five most prevalent and impactful scams you should be aware of right now, according to the BBB, AARP, and Illinois law enforcement agencies:

1. Imposter Scams: Scammers pose as trusted figures like law enforcement, public utilities, bank representatives, sweepstakes companies and more to trick you out of money and information.
2. Employment Scams: Scammers offer fake job ads, fraudulent recruitment, and non-existent jobs to get your banking information and personal info.
3. Online Purchase Scams: Fake websites, non-delivered items, phony e-commerce sites
4. AI-Powered Scams: Voice-cloning, Deepfakes, Chatbot fraud, and more tricks to get at your money and information.
5. Cryptocurrency and Investment Scams: Scammer lure in victims with fake investment opportunities that promise a high return but end up costing the victims thousands of dollars.

Keep in mind that there are countless other scams being worked, including the Funeral Fund Scam.

There Are Several Scams That Involve Funerals, But This Scam Is The Simplest One For Criminals To Pull Off

I saw a former scam artist being interviewed a few months back. He no longer scams people for money and personal information and is now spending his time teaching potential victims how to avoid the myriad of scams that are currently being used.

At one point during the interview, he said that drawing a victim in emotionally is the best way to scam them out of money. His quote was "When you start pulling on someone's heart-strings, keep pulling because their wallet is attached."

That's what makes the Funeral Fund Scam work, too.

It All Starts With The Scammer Approaching A Potential Victim For Help Because There's Been A Death

They may claim to have lost a parent, family member, close friend, or teammate before asking you for some financial assistance in their "time of need." Another factor that makes the scam work is that the scammer won't ask you for much money at all. They're only looking for 10 to 20 dollars that they can use to help pay for a funeral and related burial expenses.

According to published reports, the latest Funeral Fund Scam took place a week back in New Lenox, Illinois, when two men approached a woman in the parking lot of a Jewel-Osco on Laraway Road. They asked for money to finance a funeral, and she kindly offered them $20. They told her they couldn't legally accept cash but said they could take a credit card donation, and she agreed to that.

Patch.com:

One of the men told the victim that he needed to enter a PIN to complete the transaction, and took the woman’s phone to do so.

When the phone was handed back, the woman noticed both the $20 charge and an unauthorized $5,000 transaction on their card, according to reports.

The men then took off from the scene, but the would-be victim was smart enough to immediately call her bank to get the transactions stopped, which they were. Police are still investigating.

Here's another Illinois woman who was scammed the same way, but still hasn't gotten her money back: