Protecting the Estate - Best Privacy, Security & Fraud Prevention
The threats nobody warns you about, and how to shut them down
Approximately 2.5 million deceased individuals fall victim to identity theft annually. Fraudsters use obituary information to open credit cards, file tax returns, and claim benefits in a deceased person’s name. The FTC reported over 1.1 million identity theft cases in 2024 alone—and the recently deceased are among the easiest targets because the theft often goes undetected for months.
The Risks You Need to Know About
Obituary Mining
Scammers scan obituaries for full names, birth dates, maiden names, family member names, and hometowns—all useful for identity theft. Minimize details in public obituaries and avoid including birth dates or mother’s maiden name.
Ghosting (Deceased Identity Theft)
Fraudsters use a deceased person’s Social Security number to open new credit accounts, file fraudulent tax returns, or claim government benefits. This can go undetected for months or years.
Estate Scams
Fake debt collectors, phishing emails claiming to be from financial institutions, and fraudulent “inheritance” calls targeting grieving family members. The first 30 days are peak scam season.
Vacant Property Risks
Empty homes are targets for break-ins, squatters, mail theft, and property fraud. Criminals can even attempt to transfer property titles using forged documents.
Digital Account Takeover
If the deceased’s email or social accounts aren’t secured, bad actors can use them to reset passwords on financial accounts, send phishing messages to contacts, or access sensitive information.
Protective Steps & Tools
| Action | When | How / Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze the deceased’s credit | ASAP | A credit freeze is free and prevents anyone from opening new accounts. Contact all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) with the death certificate and proof of executor authority. |
| Place a “Deceased Alert” on credit reports | Week 1 | Contact all three bureaus with a copy of the death certificate. This flags the account so new credit applications are scrutinized. |
| Notify Social Security Administration | Immediately | Call 1-800-772-1213. SSA can lock the Social Security number to prevent changes to address or bank account for benefits. |
| File IRS Form 56 (Fiduciary Notice) | Month 1 | Notifies the IRS that a fiduciary (executor) is now managing the deceased’s tax obligations. Helps prevent fraudulent tax filings. |
| Monitor the deceased’s credit | Ongoing 12–24 mo | Services like Aura (from $12/mo), Identity Guard, or IDShield ($14.95/mo) can monitor for new activity. Aura and Identity Guard both include $1M identity theft insurance. |
| Secure or memorialize social media | Week 1 | Facebook, Instagram, Google, and most platforms have processes for memorializing or deleting accounts. GhostSweep can help identify all active accounts. (See Post 2.) |
| Limit obituary details | Before publishing | Omit birth date, mother’s maiden name, and home address from public obituaries. These are common security question answers. |
| Change locks on the property | Day 1–3 | Protect against break-ins and unauthorized access while the estate is being settled. (See Post 5.) |
| Forward mail to executor’s address | Week 1 | Prevents sensitive mail from sitting in an unmonitored mailbox. Also helps with account discovery. (See Post 2.) |
Why This Matters
When someone dies, the last thing you’re thinking about is fraud. But scammers are counting on exactly that. They know you’re overwhelmed. They know the mail is piling up. They know the Social Security number is still active and the credit file is unprotected.
2.5 million deceased people become victims of identity theft every year. That’s not a hypothetical—it’s a business model for criminals. And the window between death and protection is when families are most vulnerable.
The steps in this post aren’t complicated. Most take a single phone call or a few minutes online. But they need to happen quickly—and someone needs to know they exist. That’s why Good Grief Relief thinks about the things families shouldn’t have to worry about alone.
Protection Is Part of the Process
Good Grief Relief helps families lock down the estate, navigate the logistics, and handle the things you shouldn’t have to figure out alone—especially when you’re grieving.
Learn What We DoThis is the final post in our 8-part series. Start from the beginning or explore any post from the series navigation above.