A FUNERAL parlour is warning residents of a scam after a number of people received calls from a man claiming to work for them.

Westcliff’s Penrose Funeral has been forced to speak out after a number of residents stated they received calls attempting to sell them funerals or funeral plans.

Jeremy Van der Pant, managing director, insisted the firm would never cold call, branding it as “unethical”.

He added that, strangely, when residents attempt to return the call the number redirects to Penrose.

Mr Van der Pant said: “It is all very bizarre.

“We are not quite sure how long it has been going on, or how many people have been affected, but we have been contacted by a handful of people recently.

“When asked, the caller is saying he works for Penrose Funeral, and when the residents call the number back, it is diverted to us.

“So someone has obviously put some time and effort to into this scam.

“As far as we are concerned it is unethical, and poor practice, for funeral directors to cold call.

“Some companies may try and sell funeral plans, but the residents have said they were trying to sell funerals, which is just bizarre.”

Mr Van der Pant added the last thing he would want is for an unsuspecting victim to pay out for a funeral, or funeral plan, in the name of his firm and lose out on the money.

The concerned managing director added: “The bottom line is, we want everyone to be aware that we would never cold call.

“It is not a practice that we undertake, and would never call members of the public out of the blue in an attempt to sell funerals, or to sell funeral plans.

“If anyone does receive these calls then please inform us, the police, and action fraud.

“We need to get to the bottom of this.”

The alleged scam has been reported to both Action Fraud and Essex Police, with Action Fraud investigating the issue.

Anyone who is contacted by a caller claiming to be Penrose Funerals, based on Bridgewater Drive, Westcliff, is asked to report it to Action Fraud using reference NFRC/181192635305.