Police arrest group accused of funeral panhandling scam

The Beaumont Police Department arrested four people accused of running a funeral panhandling scam.

According to a Facebook post by Beaumont PD, the group was asking for money from drivers over the weekend along the area of 1st Street and Beaumont Avenue.

Beaumont PD wrote that when a member of the department’s Multiple Enforcement Team spoke with the group, they claimed they were trying to collect money for a family member’s funeral. Once the officer started asking more questions, they admitted they were running a scam.

One of the scammers was wanted on a felony warrant for violation of parole. He was arrested and booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility, according to Beaumont PD. He and the three others also face charges for theft by false pretenses. Police have not released the identities of any of the four suspects at this time.

“This a good reminder to our residents not to hand out money to people soliciting donations or assistance, because they just might be trying to pull a fast one.” writes Beaumont PD.