HALL COUNTY, Ga. — An inmate at a Georgia state prison has been accused of defrauding a grieving widow by impersonating a funeral home director and demanding money.
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Investigators say Mark Rosas, the inmate, posed as Kevin Wetzel, the owner of Memorial Park Funeral Home, and called the widow demanding $1,200 for liability insurance, threatening to delay the funeral if the payment was not made.
“I have no respect for people who would take advantage of people in the worst hour of their lives,” Hall County Coroner Marion Merck told Channel 2’s Tom Regan.
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The widow, who had just lost her husband, sent the payment through Zelle after receiving the fraudulent call.
Wetzel, surprised by the widow’s inquiry about the payment, assured her that his funeral home would never request money over the phone.
Wetzel explained that the scammers likely scanned obituaries and used the information to impersonate his funeral home.
Hall County Sheriff’s investigators traced the call and transaction back to Rosas, who is now being held on $11,000 bond at Hall County Jail.
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Wetzel advises families to be cautious and assures them that legitimate funeral homes will not ask for money through calls or texts.
Rosas has been transported from state prison to Hall County Jail, where he faces charges for the fraudulent scheme.
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