Identity intruders will stop at absolutely nothing – not even the death of the intended victim – when it comes to stealing someone’s personal info to commit fraud.

Crafty criminals look for personal particulars about the deceased in obituaries (in the newspaper or on the internet), genealogy Web sites, death certificates and other sources. Armed with personal information – such as a complete identify, address and date of birth – an ID thief might be capable to obtain a new Social Security card, a driver’s license, or loans and credit rating cards, even though the victim is no longer alive.

FDIC Consumer News suggests that families consider the subsequent actions after a loved one dies:

Limit the amount of individual info in obituaries. “It’s a good idea to leave out the exact birth date with the deceased. If something, supply only the birth year,” said David Nelson, a fraud specialist within the FDIC’s Monetary Crimes Section.

Think about omitting a wife’s maiden name simply because numerous financial institutions use a mother’s maiden name like a security password. “If an obituary publicizes a woman’s maiden identify and lists her kids, an identity thief may be capable to use that and other information to order credit rating cards or otherwise go on a investing spree in the childrens’ names,” Nelson added.

Acquire several copies of the death certificate after which proceed to close bank, brokerage, credit card along with other accounts as needed.

Ask your attorney or accountant for guidance about closing and reopening accounts in survivors’ names.

Also, quickly report the death to the fraud departments of all 3 major credit bureaus, which financial institutions rely on when handling credit rating applications, and also the Social Protection Administration.

“It’s essential to help avoid identity thieves from assuming the deceased person’s identity prior to the estate is settled,” explained Nelson. “Otherwise, there might be credit rating extended towards the fraudsters that will require to be resolved before distributions can be made to heirs.”

These thieves are the lowest of the low.  Targeting the deceased ought to be a crime punishable by passing away from one thousand slices of a very dull knife.

Don’t make it simple for these identity thieves to entry the information.  It’s not some thing that we think about during a time of grief, but in today’s world, we need to always be on our toes.

Filed under: Finance

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