CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Scammers posing as panhandlers raising money for a child’s funeral that have been seen nationwide have now been spotted in Eastern Iowa. The panhandlers have been seen at locations in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. KCRG-TV says the group is holding the same signs seen in cities across the country featuring the picture of a boy who allegedly died and asking for donations to cover funeral expenses. An investigation by the station’s sister station in South Carolina found the funeral isn’t real and the signs are a scam.

Panhandlers with a scam funeral sign (Photo by WSMV in Nashville, TN)

The picture is actually of a chess player from Peru. The scammers have also been reported in Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee.