Identity theft is not just a problem that impacts the living, each year the identities of more than 2 million dead people are stolen. The deceased victims can either be deliberately targeted or a fabricated social security number on a credit application could inadvertently match the social security number of a dead person. Sadly the survivors are often the ones who are stuck dealing with the fallout of the identity theft. It is important to take proactive measures against identity theft when a person dies. The executor or trustee of a dead person’s estate needs to notify the individual’s creditors and financial institutions of the death.
See Liz Weston, Protecting the dead against ID theft, 13WMAZ, June 25, 2015.
Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.
