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uk Death, bereavement & serious family crises

What to do if…
you receive a request to transfer a loved one’s remains and are unsure it is legitimate

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Pause the transfer and verify independently before agreeing to anything. Contact the hospital, mortuary, care home, coroner’s office, or funeral director you already chose using an official website, paperwork you already trust, or a number you already used — not the number given by the caller.

Do not do these things

  • Do not agree to a transfer, collection, delivery, or courier until you have verified who currently has custody of the person’s remains.
  • Do not pay urgent fees or share card or bank details because someone says there is a deadline.
  • Do not send passports, driving licences, death certificates, or copies of documents to an unverified person or firm.
  • Do not let anyone collect documents from your home, or bring paperwork to sign at the door, if you are unsure who they are.
  • Do not rely on caller ID, emails, websites, or logos as proof that the contact is genuine.
  • Do not argue with the caller or try to prove they are lying; pausing and verifying is enough.

What to do now

  1. Create a safe pause. Say: “I cannot authorise anything right now. I will call back through an official number.” Then end the call or stop replying to the message.
  2. Write down what you were told while it is fresh. Note the name of the firm or person, phone numbers, email addresses, claimed location of the deceased, what they want you to authorise, any reference numbers, and any payment details they gave you.
  3. Find out who currently has custody using a trusted route.
    • If the death happened in a hospital, hospice, or care home, call the main switchboard number from the organisation’s official website and ask for the bereavement office, mortuary, or person dealing with deaths.
    • If the death happened at home or somewhere else and police, a coroner’s officer, or an ambulance service was involved, use a number from official paperwork or an official website and ask who the body was released to.
    • If you already instructed a funeral director, call that funeral director using the number you already know or used before, and ask whether they have requested or authorised any transfer.
  4. Ask the current custodian to confirm what is authorised. Use simple questions:
    • “Is the deceased in your care right now?”
    • “Do you have a funeral director recorded for this person?”
    • “Has anyone asked you to release or transfer the person?”
    • “What do you normally require before releasing the person to a funeral director?”
    • “Is there any reason this has to be decided immediately?”
  5. If a coroner is involved, slow down further. Ask the custodian, coroner’s office, or your chosen funeral director whether the coroner is involved and whether the body may be moved yet. The body may not be released or moved until the coroner’s process allows it.
  6. If the request is to move the body out of England or Wales, treat it as extra verification needed. Moving a body out of England and Wales, including to Scotland, usually involves authority or notice through the coroner for the area where the body is. Do not proceed until your chosen funeral director or the coroner’s office, reached through an official number, confirms what is needed.
  7. If the request involves a death abroad, verify through official channels before sending money or documents. Contact your chosen funeral director, the relevant consulate or embassy route shown on GOV.UK, or the organisation currently holding the body abroad. Do not use only contact details supplied by the person asking for payment.
  8. If money or personal data may already have been shared, act now to limit harm.
    • Call your bank or card provider using the number on your card, banking app, or official website, and say you may have been targeted by a scam connected to bereavement arrangements.
    • If you sent identity documents, ask the bank or card provider what extra checks they can place on your account.
    • Change the password for any email account used to communicate with the suspected scammer, and turn on two-factor authentication if you can.
  9. Report the suspicious contact.
    • If you are in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, report suspected fraud through Report Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040.
    • If you are in Scotland, report fraud to Police Scotland by calling 101.
    • If someone is at your door and you feel in immediate danger, call 999.

What can wait

  • You do not need to decide today which funeral director to use just to verify the request.
  • You do not need to decide now whether the person should be moved, buried, cremated, or repatriated.
  • You do not need to sign forms, send documents, or pay invoices until you have confirmed custody and the correct process with the official custodian.
  • You do not need to convince the caller that you are right to pause.

Important reassurance

It is reasonable to pause when someone contacts you about urgent arrangements after a death. Legitimate services should accept that you need to verify through trusted numbers before authorising a transfer, sending documents, or paying money.

Scope note

These are first steps only, to help you avoid an irreversible mistake and confirm who has custody of the person’s remains. Later decisions about funeral arrangements, repatriation, payment disputes, complaints, or legal issues may need specialist help.

Important note

This is general information, not legal, financial, medical, therapeutic, or professional advice. Processes can vary across the UK and by local coroner area. If anything feels off, prioritise independent verification and your immediate safety.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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