Funeral Fraudster Mark Kerbey Convicted of Defrauding Families in Essex

Mark Kerbey, a 62-year-old funeral fraudster, has been convicted of two counts of fraud after scamming a grieving family out of £2,600 for a funeral that never took place. Despite being banned from organizing funerals in Basildon and Southend since 2018, Kerbey misled the family into believing he had arranged a service at Pitsea Crematorium. The family arrived to find no service had been organized, and Kerbey had even presented them with a false order of service the night before. When confronted, he shifted the blame and offered an alternative service at his small funeral home, which could not accommodate the group. This is not his first offense; Kerbey has a long history of fraud, including a previous prison sentence for defrauding a hospital out of half a million pounds. His sentencing is pending as he faces additional legal repercussions for his fraudulent activities.