Protecting the Identities of Lost Loved Ones from "Ghosting" Theft

The death of a family member is one of the most emotionally wrenching experiences we face in life. As we struggle to cope with the grief and loss, the last thing we need is the added devastation of learning our loved one‘s identity has been stolen and used for criminal gain. Sadly, this practice, known as "ghosting" or deceased identity theft, is a growing threat that exploits our digital footprints and targets the most vulnerable.

The Rising Tide of Identity Theft

Identity theft has exploded into a multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise in recent decades. The FTC received a staggering 5.7 million fraud and identity theft reports in 2021 alone, a 70% increase from 2020. Of those, over 1.4 million complaints were specific to identity theft.[^1]

While we don‘t have precise statistics on ghosting identity theft due to challenges in detection and classification, experts conservatively estimate that the identities of over 2 million deceased Americans are stolen and exploited each year.[^2] Javelin Strategy & Research calculates that identity theft of the deceased costs businesses and government agencies over $6 billion annually.[^3]

The Digitization of Death

Several intersecting trends have fueled the rise of ghosting identity theft:

1. The proliferation of digital records and online databases containing sensitive personal information, including birth and death records, financial data, and more.

2. The ubiquity of obituaries and memorial pages online, which often contain key personal details needed to steal an identity.

3. The public accessibility of the Social Security Administration‘s "Death Master File" (DMF), a database of deceased individuals that includes their name, SSN, date of birth, date of death, and last known residence.[^4]

4. The growing market for stolen identities and the relative ease of monetizing them through fraudulent credit applications, account takeovers, filing fake tax returns, obtaining loans, and more.

Scammers are adept at piecing together disparate bits of personal data on the deceased scraped from all corners of the internet. Shockingly, a complete "fullz" dossier sufficient to easily impersonate a deceased person – name, SSN, birthdate, credit card info, account logins, etc. – can sell for as little as $4 on the dark web.[^5]

Scammers‘ Tricks for Stealing Identities of the Dead

Criminals employ a variety of methods to collect sensitive personal information on the recently (and not-so-recently) deceased:

• Combing through both print and online obituaries for personal details like birth dates, hometowns, names of relatives, education and work histories, and more. Popular obituary sites like Legacy.com and Tributes.com are prime hunting grounds.

• Searching public records databases for death certificates, which often contain full SSNs, parents‘ names, and other key data points.

• Scouring genealogy research sites like Ancestry.com and MyHeritage.com for personal histories and family tree data.

• Phishing deceased individuals‘ family members by posing as government agents offering to "help" with funeral expenses, unpaid debt, or other financial matters in order to extract account details and personal information.

• Scraping the SSA‘s Death Master File for personal data, then cross-referencing it with other sources to build complete identity profiles. A 2012 audit found the DMF had an error rate of over 30%, with nearly 20,000 living individuals incorrectly listed as deceased.[^6]

Real-Life Ghosting Nightmares

These underhanded tactics upend the lives of tens of thousands of families each year. One of the most egregious cases in recent memory is that of Johnathan Hibbs, a Chicago-area man who stole the identities of over 200 deceased children to file fraudulent tax returns and collect over $2 million in refunds.[^7]

In California, a crime ring used obituaries to steal dozens of deceased individuals‘ identities, which were then used to loot bank accounts, open new credit cards, take out auto loans, and more. The scammers were only caught when they brazenly attempted to claim the $1 million life insurance benefit of one of their victims.[^8]

And in Indiana, Joann Kovalski was shocked to discover scammers had racked up over $1,500 in charges on her recently deceased mother‘s credit card – within days of her death. The criminals had impersonated her mother by phone to have a new card overnighted to them.[^9]

While these high-profile busts made headlines, far more ghosting identity theft goes undetected and unreported each year, leaving families to clean up the financial fallout and clouding their memories of deceased loved ones.

Red Flags of Ghosting Identity Theft

Keep an eye out for these tell-tale signs that a departed relative‘s identity may have been compromised:

• Debt collection notices or bills arriving in the deceased‘s name for unknown accounts
• Phone calls from financial institutions about new credit cards, loans, or lines of credit opened in the person‘s name after their date of death
• Unexpected activity on the deceased‘s credit report, such as new accounts, credit inquiries, address changes, etc.
• Receiving unsolicited, pre-approved credit offers addressed to the deceased individual
• The person‘s online accounts (email, social media, financial logins, etc.) showing suspicious activity after their passing

Proactive Steps to Protect a Loved One‘s Identity

No precautions can completely prevent identity theft, but these concrete steps can greatly reduce risk:

1. Limit the personal details you include in obituaries and death announcements. Omit exact birthdates, mother‘s maiden name, last known address, employment history, and other sensitive data points.

2. Notify all three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) of the death as soon as possible. Request a copy of the deceased‘s credit report and ask that a "deceased alert" be placed on their file to prevent new accounts from being opened.

3. Promptly close the deceased‘s active credit cards, bank accounts, and other financial accounts. Destroy any physical cards and checkbooks. Notify each institution that the account holder is deceased.

4. Contact other organizations to inform them of the death, close accounts, and remove your loved one‘s name from marketing lists, including:

   • The Social Security Administration (funeral directors often handle this step)
   • The IRS and state tax agencies
   • The DMV to cancel driver‘s licenses and transfer vehicle titles
   • The US Postal Service to forward mail to the estate executor
   • Utility companies, subscription services, mobile carriers, etc.

5. Consider using an identity theft protection service for the deceased individual, especially if they were the victim of a previous data breach or identity theft. Services like LifeLock, Identity Guard, and Aura offer tailored "deceased" plans that continuously monitor the person‘s credit file, public records, and dark web footprint for signs of ghosting.

6. Securely store or shred sensitive documents containing the deceased‘s personal information, such as tax returns, bank statements, and medical records. Never simply toss intact documents in the trash.

7. Be extremely wary of unsolicited calls or emails from individuals claiming to represent government agencies, creditors, or other organizations related to the deceased. These are likely phishing attempts to solicit personal data. Initiate contact yourself through trusted channels if you have questions or concerns.

8. Periodically check the deceased‘s credit report in the months and years after their passing for any indications of suspicious activity or new accounts. You can request copies for free via AnnualCreditReport.com.

Responding to Ghosting Theft

If you suspect or discover that a deceased relative‘s identity has been stolen, swift action is crucial to minimize damage:

1. Notify the police and file an official identity theft report with both your local police department and that of the deceased‘s last place of residence. Get copies of the reports.

2. Report the theft to the IRS and your state tax agency.

3. Contact any credit card companies, banks, or lenders where fraudulent accounts were opened to dispute the activity and have the accounts closed.

4. Place a freeze on the deceased‘s credit reports with all three bureaus to prevent further new account fraud.

5. Consider hiring an estate attorney to help navigate the process of resolving the theft and represent the deceased‘s interests.

The Lasting Toll of Ghosting

Unraveling the damage caused by deceased identity theft can be an intensive, time-consuming process that may take months or even years to fully resolve. On top of the financial costs of fraudulent charges, legal fees, and lost wages, ghosting exacts a heavy emotional toll.

Many families report feeling "revictimized" by the knowledge that their loved one‘s death enabled a crime. Some even blame themselves for not taking steps to prevent the theft, even if the breach of information was outside their control. Clearing up identity fraud forces families to continuously revisit the pain of loss again and again, disrupting the grieving process.

Ghosting identity theft is, at its core, an utterly cruel and callous crime. Hardened scammers see death not as a time for mourning and remembrance, but as an opening to exploit others‘ pain for personal gain. As long as there is profit to be made from stolen identities, criminals will keep targeting the dead and their relatives.

Fighting Ghosting From Beyond the Grave

While it‘s impossible to completely eradicate your digital footprint (and associated identity theft risks) from beyond the grave, we can all take proactive steps today to make ghosting harder tomorrow:

• Routinely monitor your credit report and bank/credit card statements for errors or unfamiliar activity. The sooner you catch identity theft attempts, the easier they are to resolve.

• Use strong, unique passwords on all your online accounts and enable two-factor authentication wherever available. Consider using a reputable password manager to generate and securely store complex passwords.

• Be very selective about what personal information you share online, both in public forums and in supposedly private messages. Assume any digital communications could potentially be breached.

• Invest in identity theft protection for yourself and your family members. Many employers now offer this as an opt-in benefit. Having a team of trained professionals ready to jump into action can significantly cut losses and headaches if you are victimized.

• Keep your will, advance medical directive, and other estate documents up to date, with clear instructions on how to handle your physical and digital assets after death. Make sure your appointed executor has a list of all your key accounts.

• Have a frank discussion with your loved ones about your posthumous privacy wishes and the risks of oversharing personal details in death notices and online memorials. Make a plan together.

In today‘s interconnected digital world, we‘re likely to continue generating data and building an online presence long after we‘re physically gone. While nothing can completely prevent a determined criminal from exploiting that reality, we owe it to ourselves and our families to make ghosting identity theft as difficult as possible. It‘s one more way we can leave a positive legacy and protect what matters most.

Frequent Questions

Q: How can I obtain a deceased relative‘s Social Security number if I don‘t already have it?
A: The most surefire way is to submit IRS Form 4506 to request a copy of the person‘s last tax return, which will contain their full SSN. There is a $43 fee and it can take up to 75 days to receive the return. The deceased individual‘s executor can also submit Form SS-5 to the SSA to request a copy of their original Social Security application, which also contains the full SSN, for a $27 fee.[^10]

Q: Can I access my deceased spouse‘s or parent‘s credit report?
A: The executor of the deceased‘s estate can request a copy of the person‘s credit report from the three credit bureaus. You will need to provide proof of death (i.e. a death certificate) as well as evidence that you are the lawful representative of their estate. If you are the surviving spouse but not the executor, you will need to provide proof of your relationship along with the death certificate.[^11]

Q: Do identity theft protection services cover deceased individuals? What‘s the best one?
A: Yes, many of the major identity theft protection brands now offer specific plans tailored for covering and monitoring deceased individuals‘ identities. Aura, IdentityForce, and IdentityIQ are consistently top-rated by cybersecurity experts for their proactive $1 million insurance policies, user-friendly dashboards, and comprehensive restoration services. Pricing and specific features vary, so it‘s worth comparing a few providers to find the best fit for your family‘s needs and budget.[^12]

Q: How long do I need to keep up the identity monitoring on my deceased relative?
A: While there‘s no hard and fast rule, identity theft experts recommend monitoring a deceased individual‘s identity for at least one year after their passing, and ideally for two or more years if you can swing it. Because scammers often intentionally delay using stolen information, ghosting identity theft can crop up 12+ months after a death. The longer you keep monitoring in place, the faster you can detect and counter such attempts.[^13]

Grief is challenging enough without the added trauma of criminality and fraud. Fight back against ghosting identity theft with knowledge, vigilance, and a solid action plan to protect your deceased loved ones – and your own peace of mind.

[^1]: "Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2021." Federal Trade Commission. February 2022.
[^2]: "Identity Theft Poses Extra Troubles for Children." Identity Theft Resource Center. March 2021.
[^3]: Al Pascual, Kyle Marchini, and Sarah Miller. "Identity Fraud Hits All Time High With 16.7 Million U.S. Victims in 2017." Javelin Strategy & Research. February 2018.
[^4]: "Public Death Master File." National Technical Information Service, US Department of Commerce. June 2021.
[^5]: Asbury, Rachael. "Here‘s How Much Your Identity Could Be Worth on the Dark Web." MoneyWise. February 2022.
[^6]: "Public Death Master File." National Technical Information Service, US Department of Commerce. June 2021.
[^7]: Meisner, Jason. "Chicago-area businessman charged with swindling IRS out of millions." Chicago Tribune. August 2016.
[^8]: Dellinger, Jade. "3 Inland Empire women arrested in $6 million scheme to defraud insurance company." Inlander. April 2019.
[^9]: Segall, Bob. "Thieves steal dead Carmel woman‘s identity." WTHR 13 Indianapolis. March 2015.
[^10]: "Request a Deceased Individual‘s Social Security Record." FOIA Request Guidelines. Social Security Administration.
[^11]: "Requesting credit reports for the deceased." Experian. November 2020.
[^12]: Arielle Weg. "The Best Identity Theft Protection Services for 2024." CNet. March 2023.
[^13]: "Protecting the Identity of a Deceased Loved One." Experian. July 2022.