August 28, 2009
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Identity Theft of the Deceased, Pt.2
Protecting their memoryStart protecting your loved one's memory from credit card and identity thieves by notifying all the necessary authorities. Mourning is painful and takes time. Although very difficult, attending to the details of business will give you peace of mind knowing you are preventing credit card thieves from violating your relative. Begin by obtaining a copy of the death certificate. Make several copies and send them to all your relative's banks, credit card companies, attorneys, and creditors with an open account. Notify all three of the credit reporting companies, TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. Ask them to flag your relative's file as deceased.
Consider switching your loved one's personal data to a living trust. Credit card and identity thieves have a very difficult time accessing private information that could be used to open unauthorized credit card accounts. Trusts are not available to public access in the same manner that wills are. Lastly, prevent thieves from gaining knowledge that your relative has passed away. The easiest way to prevent thieves from gaining access to your loved one's information is by not publishing a public obituary. Although personal notification is the best method to announce your relative's death, its time consuming and makes mourning difficult. Personal phone calls to limited friends and families and asking them to spread the word helps. Electronic email is the best method to get the word out to a large group of interested parties.
Once you have taken all the necessary steps to notify all significant parties on your relative's death, to assure you have completely protected your loved one from credit card theft, do a follow up call. Approximately six months after your relative's death, call the lenders and ask for confirmation that the account has been shut down. Call the credit reporting companies and verify that there has been no activity on the file. Following these simple steps will give you peace of mind in knowing your loved one's memory will not be harmed.