Identity Theft

In the past, an eloquently written obituary published in the local newspaper was the accepted norm. The obituary contained details of the life of the deceased, relatives, hobbies and the upcoming funeral services. In most cases, the information contained in the obituary would be read only by the subscribers of the local newspaper.

Fast forward to the present day digital age. While the obituary is still the format used for announcing the death of a loved one, the methods and speed of publishing have increased dramatically. Newspapers continue to print obituary notices; however, the information contained in the obituary notice is no longer limited to its subscribers who pick up the newspaper on their doorstep. Most newspapers now have an edition on the internet, allowing for additional access to personal information that can be seen by a multitude of individuals.

Unfortunately, this acceleration of the number of people that can access the obituary of the deceased carries with it the danger of unscrupulous people trying to scam the grieving survivors or an attempt at identity theft. The standard information contained in an obituary notice can be used by devious individuals to cause further suffering to those who have just lost a loved one. Such scams that may be attempted include being contacted directly or by phone by criminals who may;

Pose as banking, insurance, or government officials and try to obtain information about the deceased such as Social Security number, credit card number, date of birth, driver license numbers and mother's maiden name for the purpose of identity theft.
Demand payment of bills allegedly owed by the deceased along with the threat of a lawsuit if payment is not received promptly.
Send or attempt to deliver an item such as a book or piece of jewelry that is engraved with the name of the surviving spouse or child. The recipient is told that the item was ordered by the deceased before he or she passed away. Of course, there is always the matter of the "outstanding payment" due on the gift.
Break in and burglarize the survivors' home while they are at the funeral services.
Use information in the death notice to open credit cards.
Fortunately, there are simple steps that can be taken in writing an obituary which will drastically reduce the chances of being targeted by criminals.
Reduce the information offered in the death notice. To limit exposure to identity theft, list only the year of the deceased's birth and do not include the maiden name of his or her mother.
To avoid the onslaught of solicitations and to reduce the risk of a break-in to a home while the occupants are at the funeral services, do not include any addresses in the obituary.
Close accounts and credit cards of the deceased. Notify credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) that the individual is deceased. Once the agencies have updated this information, if an individual attempts to open a credit card using the information of the deceased, the fraud will be detected.

Taking the above steps will help minimize identity theft and scams. After the death of a loved one, all bills should be carefully scrutinized and a skeptical attitude taken toward any phone or in person solicitations. In this electronic age, taking such safeguards will help ensure that the bereaved are not victims of additional grief.

Monica Phillips is a contributing writer for Heart to Heart Sympathy Gifts, an online retailer of sympathy and memorial gifts of comfort and remembrance.

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Identity theft is an increasing concern for many, and something that has become even more prevalent over the last few years due to the internet. There are many ways that someone who has stolen your identity can use it against you. This article contains some examples of how people can be caused problems by others stealing their identity.

The most common cases of identity theft are where credit cards or credit card details are stolen. This has become more commonplace due to the internet. With so many people now making purchases online it gives an extra opportunity to criminals wishing to obtain the details of innocent people's credit cards. This has the obvious problem of someone being able to use somebody else's credit card to buy things and withdraw cash, while the credit card owner can get left with the bill. The problem with your details being stolen rather than the physical credit card being stolen is that you are likely to notice soon after your card has gone. If the details are stolen, for example during an online transaction, then you may not realise for a while, while someone else is spending your money.

Some have taken out mortgages and other loans using a stolen identity. Someone who would not otherwise be able to get a loan may use the details of someone in a stronger financial position. This can cause the person who is being imitated being charged for repayments and interest on a loan they haven't taken out. One the other hand, the lender can lose out having already paid out the amount of the loan, although this can often be reclaimed.

It is not just individuals who can be victims of stolen credit cards and credit card details, but businesses as well. If a business accepts a stolen credit card from someone buying goods or services from them then it may mean lost income, as the money might be reclaimed by the credit card company.

Identity theft is not just about money though, people can use others' identity in other ways. One example is to use someone else's passport. This can enable wanted criminals to travel to another country, or illegal immigrant to enter a country by what appears to be legal means.

People have had their driving licence used by somebody else. This has led to people driving illegally. It can also mean someone being fined for speeding when, in fact, they haven't committed the offence.

Another instance of identity crime has been where people have managed to tell the postal services that someone has moved, re-directing mail to their own address. This means receiving their mail, which can have disastrous consequences. This can mean receiving mail that enables them to use their identity for wrongful means.

The above is not by any means an exhaustive list of potential identity theft crimes. There are many other ways that people's identities can be used for wrongful means. The danger of identity theft means that everyone has to be careful to make sure they limit the chances of their identity being stolen.

Andrew Marshall (c)

For advice and help on Identity Theft and online protection visit Know the Net.

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