Protecting a Loved One Who Has Passed Away from Identity Theft

Posted by: Desiree B. | Jan 18,2008

If a loved one has passed away, there are steps you can take to protect them from identity theft. Unfortunately, identity thieves prey on the deceased, as easy targets for their crimes. Since most people don’t think of identity theft as an ongoing problem after death, it’s easy for identity thieves to go after them. What you can do to protect a deceased person from identity theft:

 

Obtain additional copies of your loved one’s death certificate to avoid identity theft. Various entities will ask you to produce the death certificate to prove that your loved one has passed away. Order them ahead of time to be prepared.

 

Send letters to the credit bureaus asking that they place a “deceased” alert on your loved one’s credit reports to protect them from identity theft. You will need to include identifying information like Social Security number, date of birth and date of death for the deceased in the letters. In the same letter, request a copy of your loved one’s credit report, to be sure that you’ve tied up all of the loose ends.

 

Contact all of your loved one’s lenders and credit card companies to let them know that your loved one passed away. Request that joint accounts be moved to your name if you are a surviving spouse and close accounts as necessary.

 

Get more identity theft protection tips online.

 

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