From Kiplinger’s Retirement Report, May 2006:
Death is an opportune time for criminals, who look for personal details about the deceased in obituaries and even genealogy web sites, which often contain Social Security numbers. Armed with public information, an identity thief may be able to obtain a Social Security card, driver’s license and credit cards in your late relative’s name.
Limit Reported Information
In the obituary, omit the exact birth date of the deceased. If the deceased is a woman, don’t mention her maiden name with the names of her children. Many financial institutions use a mother’s maiden name as a security password.
Close Accounts
Obtain several copies of the official death certificate, and notify credit card companies, banks, brokerage firms and mortgage companies. If there is a surviving spouse or other joint account holders, notify the company that the account needs to be listed in the surviving person’ name alone.
» Don’t Let Thieves Steal The Identities Of Your Loved Ones, Part Two from CoreCharacter
From Kiplinger’s Retirement Report, May 2006: Notify Credit BureausReport the death to all three credit-reporting agencies. Request that a deceased alert be placed on the report. "That means when a company wants to open credit in someone&rsq... [Read More]
Tracked on: May 18, 2006 6:36 AM | Permalink to Trackback