Protecting Deceased Loved Ones From Identity Theft - Family - AARP

Your identity isn't safe, even after you've died. ? Gary S. Chapman/Getty Images

It's called "ghosting," and because it can take six months for financial institutions, credit-reporting bureaus and the Social Security Administration to receive, share or register death records, the crooks have ample time to rack up charges. Plus, of course, the dead don't monitor their credit ? and often, neither do their grieving survivors.

Sometimes, crooks glean personal information from hospitals or funeral homes. More often, the crime begins with thieves trolling through obituaries. With a name, address and birth date in hand, they can illicitly purchase the person's Social Security number on the Internet for as little as $10.

This time of year, criminals may file tax returns under the identities of the dead, collecting refunds (they totaled $5.2 billion in 2011) from the IRS.

The only good news here is that surviving family members are ultimately not responsible for such charges (or for legitimate debts of the dead if their names are not on the accounts). But ghosting can still cause plenty of angst. So protect yourself by taking these steps after a loved one's death:

Source: http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-03-2013/protecting-the-dead-from-identity-theft.html

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