
Ghosting?
Ghosting is a type of identity theft in which criminals exploit the identities of deceased individuals to commit fraud. This can include opening credit card accounts, obtaining loans, claiming tax refunds, and getting cell phone or other services using the deceased person's personal information. Ghosting can be particularly difficult for families to detect and deal with, as the victims are no longer alive to monitor their finances, and grieving families may be preoccupied with other matters. Ghosting often takes advantage of the lag time that it takes for financial institutions, credit reporting bureaus, and government entities to update their records after a person's death.
1. Obtain at least a dozen copies of the official death certificate.
2. Obtain a copy of the deceased person's credit reports.
3. Review each credit report and add an alert if evidence of fraud exists.
4. Mail copies of the death certificates with a "deceased alert" to the credit-reporting bureaus and the IRS.
5. Remove the deceased's name from joint accounts.
