⚠️ 2.5 Million Deceased Americans Have Their Identities Stolen Every Year
Identity thieves target the dead because:
- The Social Security number is often published in obituaries or death records
- Nobody is monitoring the deceased's credit report
- Mail sits in an unmonitored mailbox for weeks
- Credit applications aren't questioned — the credit bureaus don't know the person is dead until someone tells them
The window of vulnerability: From the moment of death until the credit bureaus are notified, the deceased's identity is wide open. Thieves can open credit cards, take out personal loans, file fraudulent tax returns, apply for government benefits, and even take out mortgages — all in a dead person's name.
The obituary is a roadmap for identity thieves: full name, date of birth, city, family members' names. Within 48 hours of publication, the risk begins. Freeze the credit BEFORE or immediately after the obituary runs.
The 3 Calls — Do This TODAY
Contact all 3 credit bureaus. Each call takes 5-10 minutes. You'll need the same information for each one.
Equifax
Phone
1-800-685-1111
Hours
Mon-Fri 8am-11pm ET · Sat 8am-8pm ET
What to say:
"I need to report a death and place a deceased alert on a credit file."
What they'll need:
- Deceased's full legal name
- Deceased's Social Security number
- Deceased's date of birth
- Date of death
- Your name and relationship
- Your contact information
Mail to (with certified death certificate + Letters Testamentary + your ID):
Equifax Information Services LLC, P.O. Box 105069, Atlanta, GA 30348-5069
Experian
Phone
1-888-397-3742
Hours
Mon-Fri 6am-6pm PT
What to say:
"I need to report a death and request a deceased alert on a credit report."
Mail to (with certified death certificate + proof of authority):
Experian, P.O. Box 4500, Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion
Phone
1-800-680-7289
Hours
Mon-Fri 8am-11pm ET
What to say:
"I need to report a deceased consumer and request a freeze on their credit file."
Mail to (with certified death certificate + Letters Testamentary):
TransUnion LLC, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016
Three calls. Fifteen minutes total. Do it the same day you order the death certificates. Don't wait for probate. Don't wait for the funeral. Do it NOW.
What the Freeze Actually Does
✅ What it DOES:
- ✅ No new credit accounts can be opened
- ✅ No new credit inquiries processed
- ✅ Existing creditors are notified
- ✅ Credit file flagged as "deceased"
- ✅ Credit monitoring services cancelled
❌ What it does NOT do:
- ❌ Close existing accounts — executor must do that
- ❌ Stop theft that already occurred before the freeze
- ❌ Notify the SSA — call them separately (1-800-772-1213)
- ❌ Stop mail from arriving — handle mail forwarding separately
Also Notify These Agencies
☐ Social Security Administration
1-800-772-1213 — Report the death. SSA adds the deceased to the Death Master File, the most important database for preventing identity theft of the deceased.
☐ IRS — File Form 56
Notifies the IRS that you're the executor. Prevents tax refund fraud — thieves file fake returns in the deceased's name to steal refunds. Form at IRS.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-56.
☐ State DMV
Cancel the driver's license. Prevents use as fraudulent identification. Bring: death certificate + your ID.
☐ Passport Agency
Mail the passport with a death certificate to: U.S. Department of State, Passport Services, 44132 Mercure Circle, P.O. Box 1227, Sterling, VA 20166-1227.
☐ Voter Registration Office
Notify your county board of elections to remove the deceased from voter rolls.
☐ USPS — Forward or Hold Mail
Redirect the deceased's mail to you or the executor. Unmonitored mail is how thieves get account numbers and pre-approved credit offers. Online at USPS.com or visit your local post office.
☐ Direct Marketing Association
Register the deceased at ims-dm.com/cgi/ddnc.php to stop junk mail and pre-approved credit offers — gold for identity thieves.
How to Check If Identity Theft Already Happened
If more than 2-4 weeks passed between death and the credit freeze, check for fraud.
Red flags to watch for:
- 🚩 Credit card statements for accounts you don't recognize
- 🚩 Collectors calling about debts the deceased never had
- 🚩 New credit cards arriving addressed to the deceased
- 🚩 IRS notices about a tax return you/the executor didn't file
- 🚩 Applications for credit or benefits that nobody made
- 🚩 New utility accounts opened at unfamiliar addresses
- 🚩 Medical bills for services the deceased didn't receive
If you detect fraud — 5 steps:
- File a police report with local law enforcement. Get the report number.
- File an identity theft report at IdentityTheft.gov (FTC). This generates an official Identity Theft Report.
- Contact each credit bureau — place a fraud alert (in addition to the deceased alert). Request the deceased's credit report to identify all fraudulent accounts.
- Contact each fraudulent creditor. Provide the police report and Identity Theft Report. Dispute each fraudulent account.
- If a fraudulent tax return was filed — call the IRS Identity Protection Unit at 1-800-908-4490 and file Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit).
How to Write an Obituary Without Enabling Thieves
Obituaries are the #1 source of information for identity thieves targeting the deceased.
❌ LEAVE OUT of the obituary:
- ❌ Full date of birth (birth YEAR is enough)
- ❌ Home address (city is enough — not the street)
- ❌ Mother's maiden name
- ❌ Specific places of employment
✅ Safe to include:
- ✅ Full name (necessary for people to find it)
- ✅ Age or birth year (not the full date)
- ✅ City of residence (not the street address)
- ✅ Surviving family members' FIRST names only
- ✅ Memorial donation information
An obituary that says "John Robert Smith, born March 15, 1945, of 742 Maple Street, Springfield, retired from First National Bank" is an identity theft instruction manual. Date of birth + address + employer = enough to open credit accounts.
Protecting Your Own Identity After a Death
Identity thieves don't just target the deceased — they target the surviving family. When you publish an obituary, you're publicly announcing your name, your relationship, and when your house will be empty (during the funeral).
Protect yourself:
- ☐ Monitor YOUR credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com (free, weekly)
- ☐ Don't share your address in the obituary
- ☐ Consider a security camera or asking a neighbor to watch your house during the funeral
- ☐ Be skeptical of anyone contacting you about the deceased's "outstanding debts" — verify before engaging
- ☐ Don't give personal information to callers claiming to be from the deceased's bank or insurance company — call back on the official number
- ☐ Consider identity theft protection — Services like Aura and LifeLock monitor your credit, scan the dark web, and alert you to suspicious activity. Starting at $12/month. Compare identity protection services ↓
⚠️ Burglaries during funerals are real. Thieves read obituaries, note the funeral time and the family's address, and rob the empty house during the service.
Protect YOUR Identity — Not Just Theirs
You just learned how vulnerable identity is after a death. Your own Social Security number, credit, and personal information deserve the same protection.
Identity theft protection services monitor your credit, scan the dark web for your personal information, and alert you to suspicious activity — so you don't become a victim yourself.
Aura — All-in-One Identity Protection
- Credit monitoring (all 3 bureaus)
- Dark web monitoring
- SSN monitoring
- Up to $5M identity theft insurance
- Family plans available
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- Credit monitoring
- Dark web monitoring
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- Up to $3M identity theft insurance
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Frequently Asked Questions
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