The short answer
Maybe not. Some scammers read obituaries and move within hours. They pose as the funeral home, a government office or a debt collector.
The answer is the same for each of them. Hang up, then call back on a number you already trust. Anyone who insists on a gift card, a wire transfer or cryptocurrency is a warning sign.
This chapter explains how things usually work in the United States. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, and the rules where you live may differ. Before you act on anything here, check it with one of the people named at the end of the chapter.
What to do
- Hang up on anyone who wants money today.
- Call back on a number you already have, never one the caller gave you.
- Never pay by gift card, wire or cryptocurrency.
- Leave personal details out of the obituary.
- Ask someone to watch both homes during the funeral.
- Report a scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
What can wait
- The deceased alert with the credit bureaus, until someone is appointed.
- The IRS identity-theft form, unless there is a sign that someone is using your parent's name.
Who can help
The funeral home, on the number on its General Price List, can tell you whether a request really came from it.
ReportFraud.ftc.gov, your state attorney general, and 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) take reports. A probate lawyer can answer a collector who says you owe a debt yourself.
The rules, phone numbers and web addresses in this book were checked against the agencies’, courts’ and organizations’ own pages in October 2026. Where a rule differs by state, the book names one state as an example. Check anything you rely on with the office itself.
From Book 1: The First Month
This page has the short answer and the closing lists from chapter 11. The full chapter explains, in plain words, what exists, what to ask, and who can answer. The book covers the first month after the death.
Questions near this one
Other questions on related subjects, from this book and the others.
- Who do I call, and in what order? Book 1, The First Month
- What if the death was sudden, or far from home? Book 1, The First Month
- What do I do in the first hour? Book 1, The First Month
- Who is in charge if no one was named? Book 1, The First Month
Hear when The First Month is out
A short note when each book is out. Five or six emails a year at most. You can unsubscribe whenever you like.