BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Sonny Chambers Jr. III grew up a huge Bills fan on Buffalo's East Side. His family said he loved to cook, dance, and brought joy to the people in his life.
Unfortunately, just two weeks ago the 42-year-old was shot and killed at a home in Georgia. This week his stepson was arrested and charged in his murder.
Chambers' family in Buffalo couldn't go to his funeral, but one loved one found Facebook pages that said Chambers' funeral would be live-streamed. The pages even had his picture on them.
"We started sharing it," said his aunt Mary Chambers.
Mary said more than 40 family members and friends clicked the links, which then asked for their credit card numbers to view the live stream.
Mary said she was desperate to see the funeral service and entered her credit card information. The family was devastated when they learned the links were fake and had no connection to the funeral home.
"There should be a criminal charge," said Mary. "This is the lowest of the low. It's like you're kicking someone when you're really down."
Thankfully Mary said she and other loved ones did not lose any money and they canceled their credit cards.
The BBC reports that these scams have been going around.
I spoke to Katarina Schmieder from the BBB of Upstate New York. Schmieder warns to be cautious online, even if a page or link looks real. In this case, the scam Facebook page had Chambers' picture on it. Schmieder also said to call the company directly if you are suspicious, in this case, call the funeral home directly.
