Attorney Melanie Lee was quoted in the Wall Street Journal on April 1, 2007 on the topic of scam artists taking advantage of families in mourning over the death of a loved one. The article entitled, “In Times of Grief, Scam Artists Arrive,” offers suggestions for protecting oneself from those who want to take advantage during a difficult time period.

Excerpts & Quotes from the WSJ article:

In Times of Grief, Scam Artists Arrive
By JACLYNE BADAL
April 1, 2007

Families in mourning have yet another burden to contend with in the weeks and months following the death of a loved one: avoiding a growing number of scams designed to take advantage of their grief.

Con artists approach families by phone, mail and personal visits, typically claiming they are owed money after having sold a product or service to the decedent. They can trip up victims with phony contracts or aggressive demands.

Individuals who might react with suspicion under normal circumstances may be too exhausted or overwhelmed when grieving, making them an easy mark.

But experts say there are several ways people can lower the risk of falling victim to a scam: Ask for proof of the claim in writing. Call back the agency or company that's supposedly involved to verify the legitimacy of the person who approached family members. Above all, don't act or agree to make payment immediately.

"Predators prey on people's desperation...on not giving you time to think," says Melanie Lee, an estate-planning attorney in Richmond, Va.

Official-Looking Papers

Ms. Lee says that at least once or twice a year clients complain about illegitimate claims following the death of a loved one. She recalls one Richmond widow in her late 70s who got a call from someone who said the woman's late husband had signed up for a real-estate investment service. Shortly afterward, the widow got a package in the mail with official-looking documents related to the service.

The scammer even visited the widow to demand payment three months after the initial call. Ms. Lee advised her client not to act until they could verify the claim. No one found any evidence that the husband had signed up for the service, and eventually the person stopped contacting the widow.

Shield the Grieving Spouse

She also suggests families set up a protective wall around the person who is most vulnerable, such as a surviving spouse. Obituaries tend to give a lot of personal information, including the widow or widower's name and the length of the marriage, making it easy to pinpoint potential victims.

Consider having the surviving spouse and other family members direct all claims to an attorney or one selected member of the family. That might be the executor named in the will, whose role includes handling claims against the estate and distributing assets to heirs.