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February 11, 2025
Tangihanga livestream scam targets grieving whānau
Atereano Mateariki
Posted On February 11, 2025
Download AudioFake funeral livestream scammers are exploiting tangihanga and grief to steal money from mourning whānau across the motu.
The global scam involves contacting whānau online, requesting payment information for access to a livestream of a deceased relative’s service.
Monique Mehana from Haven Falls Funeral Homes’ Auckland branch says their team has received inquiries from whānau who have fallen victim to these scams.
She says their policy does not require payments for livestream access at their funeral home or chapels, which are only accessible through their official website.
“If you see a post that has your loved one’s photo on it, go straight to whomever your funeral home is and ask if that is an actual page, or ask them directly for the link, rather than clicking into these pages, go directly to the funeral home, because they would obviously have the proper channel to get the correct live stream to you,” says Mehana.
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