People are being warned of a new scam purporting to offer live stream links to 'high interest' funerals around the country.
The scammers are using photos taken from a dead person's own social media profile to populate a page.
Users are then asked to click on the link to create an account to watch the person's funeral online, including handing over financial information.
Quinn's Funeral Homes Director Gerard Quinn told Newstalk Breakfast people never have to pay for such a service.
"The scammers are setting up fake Facebook pages to offer a live stream of the funeral of, in many cases, high-profile or tragic funerals in an area," he said.
"They're populating the page with images taken from the deceased's own social media profiles and then they're asking people to click on a link which takes people to offer their credit card details to set up an account.
"Any funeral that's being live streamed there would always be a link on a death notice, be it for a church webcam or an independent streaming service.
"There'd never be any charge on that; that's something that's either offered by the church or the family.
"There'd never be a situation where people would be charged to view a funeral.
"It's the fact that they're actually going through the deceased's Facebook pages or other social media and using their images to scam people."
'Sickening scam'
Mr Quinn said the Irish Association of Funeral Directors first alerted them to the scam, which originated in Northern Ireland.
Quinn's Funeral Homes said one profile created in relation to a recent death was taken down but has since reappeared.
"No one will ever be charged a fee or need to register an account to view any funeral we are conducting," the business said in a statement.
"This is a sickening scam utilising cherished images of a loved one to entice those who were touched by that person’s life to part with money to view their funeral service".
Gardaí are aware and dealing with this scam locally and nationally, the statement added.
