AVENTURA, Fla. – There’s outrage brewing in Aventura after scammers targeted the funeral of a respected city commissioner.
Local 10 News has learned that as Commissioner Michael Stern was being laid to rest, swindlers were trying to cash in.
Aventura police are investigating someone, somewhere, creating fake Facebook sites and asking for donations.
These sites aren’t linked to anyone associated with the Stern family or the city of Aventura.
Aventura City Commissioner Rachel Friedland is among those disgusted. She was close friends with Stern, who died in July, and sat directly next to him on the dais.
“It’s horrible. It’s horrific,” Friedland said. “Michael Stern was the best of what humanity is. Whoever did this is the worst.”
She said she saw a Facebook post and, at first, didn’t think much of it.
On the day of Stern’s funeral, Sunday, the Facebook post popped up.
“I clicked on the link and accepted it because I thought my dear friend Randi Stern, Michael’s wife, had posted it,” Friedland said.
It said you could watch Michael Stern’s funeral there.
“This link is the only link you get to see your beloved Michael Stern last time,” it said. “Watch live stream. If you can afford, donate. Please share with family and friends.”
It contained a donation link. Unknowingly, several people friended the site.
Friedland said as she read it, there were words missing and she became suspicious.
“There were typos in it, errors in it,” she said.
The link said donations will go to Spiers Funeral Services. The only place with that name is in the United Kingdom, with no phone contact.
Fellow commissioner and close friend Amit Bloom immediately posted a warning about the scam to family and friends, indicating three sites were fake and linked to a live stream of the funeral service. It was reported to the police.
Friedland called the scam “the sign of evil people taking advantage of innocent people at their weakest moment.”
Online, there was immediate outrage from friends. Stern’s wife, Randi, simply posted the word “sick.”
“It is personal,” Friedland said. “When you know Michael Stern and know the Stern family, it is personal.”
At just 57 years old, Stern passed away after a five-year battle with colon cancer.
The North Miami Beach Senior High School graduate was the co-founder of Aventura Magazine, served as an Aventura commissioner from 2005 to 2014 and ran again and won in 2022.
After his diagnosis, Stern devoted his life to raising awareness, telling everyone who would listen not to skip a colonoscopy.
The fake Facebook sites are a punch in the gut to those who loved him.
“Our community and our police will not stop until they find out, investigate and prosecute,” Friedland said.
That may be difficult if the scammers are out of the country. It is unclear how many people donated.
Aventura police have not commented on the ongoing investigation.