Death In Mexico?

My best friends husband is from Mexico. He recieved a phone call from his brother saying that his mother has died and they need money to bury her. They are asking for 5000.00. He has not been home to Mexico in 10 years. His family never talk to him or call him unless they want money, because they are upset that he has married here and now lives here. How can they find out for sure that his mom has really passed away and this is not some trick they are pulling to try and get money. They have used things in the past to get them to send them money. They have said many time that his mom was in the hospital and needed money to pay for medication and bills. When my BF called to his moms house she answered the phone and when asked if she has been ill and in the hospital was told no. They have tried to call his mom but the phone number has been changed.

Any ideas on who they can contact in Mexico to find out if it is true that she had died or not?

After speaking with my BF about some of the answers on here I did find out that in the area that he is from they do not use funeral homes. They keep the body in their home for 24 hours and then it is taken to be buried. She was suppose to have died at home after being ill for a long time. They have no way of contacting neighbors, her husband has not been back to Mexico since moving her in 1997. He had only talked to his family during this time maybe 12 times. He has no plans of going back over there but also has no problem with sending the money to help , if it is true that she has passed. My BF said they have tried contacting different places there to see if they could find out but she hasn't heard back .

They could call the hospital and see is she was really ill and sick. Call some neighbors and ask or call the funeral home!

I would contact local funeral homes and the local newspaper to see if it has been listed. I clearly would not give them any money!

If he wants to pay, make all the arrangements yourself, don't give them any money. If they wont tell you what funeral place or cemetery to send money to, the family is trying to get some money.

KJ is right. If it is his mother, then he should ask them for contact information for the funeral home and deal with them directly. This would include preparing the arrangements and, most likely, planning on attending.

You might also try and contact the priest or minister that is performing the funeral. However, remember that the numbers you are given could still be a scam unless you go personally, or send someone you can trust.

If you get from the relatives a name for a funeral home and then look up the phone number yourself, you are more assured that it is not a scam.

Assuming the information you have posted is accurate it sounds to me like a prevarication, falsehood, untruth, scam and /or a lie.Five thousand pesos or dollars? If it is dollars that seems to me to a very expensive, bordering on obscene, amount of money to bury someone in most,but not all, areas of Mexico.If it was me I would immediately call the local police there and ask them to go by the mothers house and check on her well being.This really smells suspiciously like a con job.....Muy buena suerte con el problema! juan23

when someone dies the family has 2 tramit an Acta de Defunsion tht is registered in the Registro Civil of the place where he lives, there u can know if someone has really passed away