Scammers are targeting some of the most vulnerable members of the military community by demanding payment under threat of canceling funeral honors for a deceased veteran, according to multiple reports.

An Army Casualty Assistance Center in North Carolina issued a warning on the scam last month, Stars and Stripes reported. A follow-up report from Military.com included an interview with an Army Casualty Assistance Center official who called the scams “just heartless” and outlined some particulars of the threat.

A social media post from Military OneSource broke the scam down this way:

A bad actor obtains contact information for the family of a deceased veteran.
The scammer poses as either a representative of an honor guard or another government employee and instructs the family member to make a payment on an insurance policy regarding the honor guard’s appearance at the upcoming funeral.
The scammer threatens to cancel the honor guard’s appearance if payment is not made.

One such scammer reportedly demanded a $1,500 payment from a North Carolina family. Surviving family members pay nothing for military funeral honors and are not required to purchase any insurance or make any deposits connected to the ceremony.

By: Kevin Lilley