How to avoid ID theft at death
Q: I just heard about a scam where criminals steal the identity of dead people. How can this occur, and what can the public do to avoid it? — Fearful
A: Dear Mr. Fearful: This particular swindle is on the rise; in fact, more than 2 million dead Americans become ID theft victims yearly. It’s much easier to victimize the dead than the living who may be aware that something’s amiss and take steps to stop whatever is going on.
The government employs a method that protects these identities — the Social Security Administration’s “Death Master File.” Upon someone’s death, his or her Social Security number is entered into this register and credit-reporting agencies enter the deaths into their files for any future credit issuers. Unfortu-
nately, the process can take many months, and it becomes the responsibility of the heirs, spouses and so forth to protect the identities of their deceased loved ones.
So while these folks are dealing with their grief, trying to take care of the arrangements, and protect the family name from fraudsters, the scammers are hard at work attempting to grab every bit of money they can lay their hands on before the family realizes what’s happening. Before even a teeny bit of the credit window opens for those greedy fingers to begin their heist, please attend to the following suggestions.
› Be extremely cautious when writing the obituary. Omit the deceased one’s address, birthday and mother’s maiden name (the latter all too often used as a password, a huge no-no). It’s fairly common for thieves to break into the home while folks attend the funeral. If you do list information of interest, make sure someone stays at the deceased person’s home, preferably someone able to protect the premises. (The same reasons hold true for a funeral wake; if conducted in a private home, make sure it’s not that of the deceased.)
› Watch the wallet and jewelry. Some thieves simply can’t avoid temptation. We read of cases where hospital or emergency services personnel steal credit cards from wallets and pull off watches and rings, among other valuables. The thief is banking that the grieving family won’t notice until after he’s charged a new car on the MasterCard and pawned the diamond engagement ring. It’s imperative to remove all jewelry and cancel credit cards ASAP. (This is where that copy of all credit cards/ phone numbers will come in handy.) And for a couple of months afterward, carefully check the final bills for any charges that occurred after the death.
› Be careful with what you discard in the trash. A cross-shredder is a lifesaver in this instance. ID thieves love to pick through trash following deaths, searching for confidential information: tax records, bank statements, credit card statements and any paper carrying the Social Security number.
› Social media can be lethal. Whether death or funeral notices or private messages, it’s better to avoid anything that might prove tempting to a scammer. Actually, it’s best to close the account altogether if you possess the password. If not, report the death to the site so those folks can do what’s necessary to protect your loved one’s privacy.
› End mail delivery at death. If no one else continues to live in the house, notify the postal service as soon as the death occurs. Have mail either held at the post office or forward it to the estate’s executor. Otherwise, you’re taking a significant risk that an identity thief will steal valuable or private correspondence from the mailbox.
› Send a copy of the death certificate as quickly as you obtain them (usually between four to six weeks) to government agencies, such as the IRS, Social Security Administration, DMV, the state’s tax authority, creditors and other financial institutions. This action drastically lessens the chances of some scumbag trying to secure the deceased’s identity.
Contact Ellen Phillips at consumerwatch@timesfreepress.com.