TRANSCRIPT:  INTERVIEW WITH MARLA SOMMERS, 16 JANUARY 2024

Subjects: Funeral scamming

E&OE 

STARTS: 12:35

ENDS: 12:40

MARLA SOMMERS:

Just tell us a bit about I guess how you feel and looking at these scams and you know, the fact that they are targeting vulnerable people who are just trying to say goodbye to their loved ones.

MICHAEL McCORMACK:

Anybody who targets people at the most vulnerable stages in their life, that is when they've lost a loved one, is lower than the low. These people are, quite frankly, mongrels. They are taking advantage of people who are preparing to lay to rest a loved one, and they are doing it in a most sorrowful and sad and mournful time in these people's lives and trying to get money out of them.

I would urge anybody who thinks that they're trying to be ripped off on one of these live-streamed funeral requests or whatever the case might be via Facebook or other social media platforms to go to Scamwatch.gov.au and report them, go to Facebook, and report them, but report them. I know the Government has done a lot in this space, following on from the work that we did to help people who are in a volatile situation. But this is next level, what they're doing is that they're being targeted via Facebook and other social media platforms to pay for livestreams, of funerals, and to donate to families. It's not a donation, it's a rip-off, it is a scam. Our funeral directors in the Riverina and beyond, are very reputable, they have professional recommendations they're the best of the best. And they wouldn't in any way, shape or form prey on vulnerable people. But these people who do it via Facebook, who do it via other means, are the worst of the worst. Now, I think quite frankly, it also comes down to the State Government even looking at these and making the charges, making the convictions even harsher.

These people deserve to be in jail, that's where they belong. They don't deserve to be on Facebook trying to scare people who are trying to get on with the difficult and grieving process of burying a family member.

MARLA SOMMERS:

So, we have got Dossie Carr who was farewelled in December and then Bruce Baker of Bland Shire Council who was farewelled yesterday and the same thing happened there.

MICHAEL McCORMACK:

Good people.

MARLA SOMMERS:

Do you have any connections to them? And you know, what would you say?

MICHAEL McCORMACK:

Well, I knew them, and I knew the roles and jobs that they did in the community. I know the love they had for the community and the family. And Peta Murphy, the Federal Member who was educated here in Wagga, there were no more than more than nine scams involving her funeral. Now, these people will stop at nothing to take your money, they will stop at nothing to do this. And it is just, quite frankly, beyond the pale, it is beyond even contemplating. But they are out there, and they are preying on people who are at a vulnerable stage in their life, who think that they are logging on to a live stream, who think that they're donating to the family. But anybody who requests money via Facebook or some other means for a live-streamed funeral, be very wary. Do not do it and report it to Scamwatch.gov.au.

MARLA SOMMERS:

So even with Peta Murphy, is that the case where it was brought to light with the Government, or do you know anything that's sort of happening in that space as to what they're doing?

MICHAEL McCORMACK:

There were around nine fake Facebook pages purporting to be people who were Peta Murphy's Facebook followers and friends and livestream services. But they weren't, they were trying to take money from people to feather their own nests this is just beyond the pale and quite often they are not Australian, quite often they're foreign entities. But they're preying on people they are then requesting their Facebook friends and people they are gullible unfortunately, and particularly when they're not feeling the best, they are grieving, their mourning, they are burying a loved one. They see this thing, it looks professional, it looks correct, it looks right, but it's not. So I would urge and encourage people to go via the funeral directors' Facebook or go via their website. That's the correct way to do it, like I say we've got very reputable funeral directors, they wouldn't do anything like this. And they are as disgusted as I am as everybody else is about this.

But if people do feel as though there's something quite wrong, there's something not quite right about some requests that they've had via Facebook, some friend requests, or some requests for money via Facebook, for a live stream funeral service, report it. Report it to the government via scamwatch.gov.au. It's the best thing you can do, you'll help yourself and you'll help others as well.

ENDS 12:40pm

Emma Sullivan