Dating app scam victims told 'don't suffer in silence'

As well as targeting young people near the start of their lives, fraudsters have been stepping up their attempts to trick the friends and family of people who have died. Criminals exploit the grief of bereaved families by impersonating them online and charging mourners to see funeral livestreams that should be free, according to the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) which supports businesses and local authorities' trading standards officers. These livestreams became more popular during lockdown, and have continued since for those who struggle to attend a funeral in person. Fraudsters contact mourners with bogus links to watch a funeral and demand payment, or set up fake donation pages on legitimate websites. Katherine Hart, CTSI lead officer for doorstep crime, said: "This is a truly despicable scam – targeting people during one of the most emotionally difficult moments of their lives. "It's hard to imagine a more callous form of fraud.