Here's how it works.

Someone in your family passes away. You make arrangements with a funeral home. An obituary goes online.

Then the scammers get to work.

They scan obituaries for details: the name of the deceased, the funeral home, sometimes even the names of family members. Then they call, posing as funeral home staff.

They tell you there's a problem. Maybe you owe an extra $1,000 for "casket insurance." Maybe there's a $1,500 "security deposit" that needs to be paid immediately. Maybe the service will be canceled unless you pay right now.

Some scammers even spoof the funeral home's phone number, so it looks like the call is coming from the actual business.

One family in Virginia lost $1,200. Another in Georgia was asked for $2,500. A widow in Florida was targeted the day after her husband died.

The FTC called this scam one that would make the "Top 10 Scammers Hall of Shame" if such a thing existed.

How to protect yourself:

Funeral homes don't call demanding immediate payment after arrangements have been made. Payment discussions happen face-to-face during the arrangement process.

If you get a call like this, hang up. Call the funeral home directly using the number on their website or on papers they gave you. Never use a number the caller provides.

And never pay anything over the phone with Zelle, Cash App, wire transfer, or gift cards.

Scammers know exactly when to strike.

When you're grieving, you're not thinking clearly. You're exhausted. You're overwhelmed. You just want everything to go smoothly for your loved one's service.

That's what they're counting on.

The funeral home scam works because people in grief will do almost anything to avoid one more problem. Paying $1,000 feels easier than questioning the call.

This same tactic shows up in other scams too. The "grandchild in jail" call that comes late at night. The "IRS" threatening arrest during tax season. The "bank fraud alert" that catches you when you're rushing to work.

The pattern: Scammers target moments when your defenses are down. When you're tired, scared, rushed, or grieving.

The fix: If something feels urgent and high-pressure, that's exactly when you need to slow down. Real businesses and real emergencies can wait five minutes while you verify.

Sellers on Facebook Marketplace are getting hit with a new twist.

You list an item for sale. A buyer messages you. They want to pay with Zelle. Sounds fine.

Then you get a text that looks like it's from Zelle saying you need to "upgrade to a business account" to receive the payment. The buyer offers to send extra money to cover the upgrade fee, as long as you reimburse them.

You send the money. The "upgrade" never happens. The buyer disappears.

One personal finance journalist (who covers scams for a living) lost $500 to this exact scam. She was distracted, in a rush, and trying to move. The scammer knew she was vulnerable.

How to spot it:

Zelle doesn't require "upgrades" to receive money. Any text asking you to upgrade or pay a fee is fake.

Facebook warns against using Zelle for Marketplace transactions for exactly this reason. If a buyer pushes you to use a payment app instead of Facebook Pay, walk away.

And never reimburse a stranger for anything.

A reader forwarded us this text:

"Medicare: Your new benefits card is ready. Sincerely confirm your information to receive it: [link]"

Here's the breakdown.

Medicare will never text you asking to confirm information. They already have your information. Your Medicare card comes automatically when you're eligible.

The link in this text leads to a fake site designed to steal your Medicare number, Social Security number, and other personal details. Scammers use this information to commit medical identity theft, billing fraudulent services to your account.

What to do: Delete it. If you're ever unsure about your Medicare status, call 1-800-MEDICARE (the official number) or log into Medicare.gov directly.