Money for the funeral of the dead from COVID-19: scammers deceive people who are entitled to help

Even before it was introduced US government program offering financial assistance for the funeral of people who died from COVID-19, scammers began to offer potential applicants to receive assistance in the amount of up to $ 9000. Writes about it CBS News.

Photo: Shutterstock

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), scammers are trying to steal personal information. They target potential applicants for real help and invite them to register for the program.

“We have received reports of scammers asking people to register to help them. FEMA has not sent any such notifications, and we do not contact people before they register for assistance,” the agency said in a statement.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, anyone who has not called FEMA must not disclose any information about themselves or their deceased relative, including proof of name, date of birth, or Social Security number.

Also, do not respond to emails or text messages from anyone claiming to be from FEMA or any other government agency.

On the subject: Masks until 2022 and shocking mortality: Fauci's forecast for the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

The FEMA warning comes after the agency received more than a million calls about the funeral expenses program, which went into effect on April 12.

“There was a flurry of calls the first day the line opened, which created some challenges,” said FEMA Acting Director Bob Fenton. — On the second day it became a little freer. And I’m sure today will be much better than yesterday.”

The agency will allocate up to $ 9000 for funerals and up to $ 35 for each applicant to cover costs associated with a death from COVID-500 after January 19, 20. More than 2020 Americans have died from COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University.

FEMA decided to register people by phone rather than online to add a human element to the process, Fenton told lawmakers. “We want to make sure that we are sensitive and compassionate in helping everyone who needs it,” he explained.

Information Needed to Request Help

The agency recommends potential candidates to start collecting the following information:

• An official death certificate that links a person's death to COVID-19 and shows that it overtook the deceased in the United States. The certificate should be sure to indicate that the death "could be caused" or "most likely was the result of COVID-19."

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York

• Funeral documents, which include the name of the applicant, the name of the deceased, the amount of funeral expenses and their date. These include, among other things, the receipts and the funeral home contract.

• Confirmation of funds received from other sources specifically to cover the costs of the funeral. Funeral Aid cannot duplicate payments received from funeral insurance or financial aid provided by voluntary agencies, federal / state / local / tribal / territorial government programs, or other sources.

For more information on the program, visit the COVID-19 Funeral Assistance website | Fema.gov.

The economic aid package passed by Congress in December included $ 2 billion in FEMA. This should help the “individual or family to cover the costs of the funeral” made before December 31, 2020.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Conspiracy, microchips, DNA alteration: popular myths about the COVID-19 vaccine

What you need to eat to strengthen immunity: expert advice

COVID-19 may cause hallucinations and confusion in children: study

Vaccination, antibodies, immunity: the professor answered the most common questions about COVID-19

Scientists have created masks only for the nose: you can drink and eat with them

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.