The Chattooga County Coroner’s Office is warning residents about a scam targeting grieving families following the death of a loved one.

In a public alert, Coroner Jeremy A. McElhaney said scammers are posing as funeral home employees after monitoring online obituaries. The scammers then contact family members and demand immediate payment, falsely claiming to represent the funeral home handling funeral arrangements.

McElhaney urged anyone receiving such a call not to provide any personal or financial information. Instead, he advises families to hang up and contact their funeral home directly using a trusted phone number to verify whether the call is legitimate.

“I personally know the owner/operators of all three Chattooga County funeral homes and can assure you that is not the way they conduct business,” McElhaney said.

Residents are encouraged to share the warning to help prevent others from becoming victims of the scam.