Identity Theft – what you should know

How can you safeguard the identity of your loved one after they’ve passed away? Identity thieves often target the identity of deceased people, usually to steal their good name and credit rating! They can use the details to open credit cards, take out loans, claim tax refunds, renew passports and purchase products and services, all the while pretending to be someone they are not.

This criminal activity is called “ghosting”, because it can take months for organisations to catch up with death records. In some cases, organisations are never made aware of someone’s death so accounts remain open indefinitely.

What can then happen is that the thief defaults on paying the credit card or loan, which can result in your loved one’s name getting a bad credit rating. Or you may find you are being contacted by debt collection agencies that can be quite demanding in trying to locate the person they believe has defaulted on their debt. Imagine how you’d feel to receive such a call, with the debt collection agency demanding to know the details of your passed loved one? You would already be feeling upset enough to have had lost them from your life, without having to deal with such calls.

Although this type of thieving is not restricted to deceased people, it is more likely to go undetected for a period of time as the deceased are no longer around to check up on things!

I have personally been contacted repeatedly by debt collection agencies in New Zealand as I share the full name of another person who used to live locally and has defaulted on many forms of debt it seems. Luckily, I do not share the same date of birth as this other person so I have managed to get these debt collectors off my case. So, I can empathise with what it is like to be treated like a criminal, even though I am completely without fault.

The passing of a loved one is a very emotional and stressful experience. As executor of the Will, the last thing you want to deal with while grieving is the theft of your loved one’s identity!

There are many different aspects of someone’s life that can leave them open to the risk of identity theft. Swansong recommends that you let the following types of organisations know when someone dies:

• Banks and financial institutions
• The Inland Revenue Department
• Government departments like the Ministry of Social Development for pensionsThe Department of Internal Affairs for passports
• NZTA for Driver’s Licences

This way you close down the main sources of useful identity that thieves can target.

Don’t get caught out by ghosting – be proactive and make sure your loved one’s connections are closed down promptly.

In my work helping the Executors and family administer a deceased estate I am able to close down any and all connections to the deceased and help avoid the risk of identity theft. If you would like help, then please feel free to contact me.