Identity theft of deceased individuals is when a criminal poses as an individual who has died to obtain finances or services. An imposter may open financial accounts in the deceased person’s name, provide their information to law enforcement to escape criminal prosecution or attempt to claim the deceased’s social security benefits.
HOW DOES IDENTITY THEFT OF A DECEASED PERSON HAPPEN
A thief may steal a death certificate, peruse the obituaries, attempt to obtain information from websites that offer access to the Social Security Death Index or, unfortunately, the thief may be a family member.
WHAT TYPES OF PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION ARE INVOLVED IN IDENTITY THEFT OF DECEASED INDIVIDUALS
Social Security number, driver’s license, financial accounts and contact information such as a phone number and address.
RESOLVING DECEASED IDENTITY THEFT
There are both precautionary and reactive steps you can take in cases of identity theft of deceased individuals. Read more about these steps here.
If you are looking for direct assistance and a personalized plan to remediate your case of deceased identity theft, call an expert advisor for no-cost at 888.400.5530 or LiveChat with us.
