I thought “ghosting” was when someone stopped suddenly communicating with someone else, but I recently learned it has another meaning – when someone intentionally steals the identity of someone who has died. Unfortunately, this practice is quite common, and it happens because it can take a while for credit agencies and financial institutions to find out someone has died.

I recently wrote a blog post on how to protect yourself against identity & financial theft, but widowed parents also need to know how to protect their late spouse against identity & financial theft. I took most of the steps for my late husband, but frankly found out about some of these years later:

Avoid Including Personal Identifiers in the Obituary

One way that scammers find victims is by looking through obituaries. For that reason, avoid including in the obituary personal identifiers that are typically used when setting up accounts – like your late spouse’s birth date, maiden name, name of their pet, etc.

Notify the Social Security Administration

Notifying the Social Security Administration (SSA) of the death will prevent fraudulent payments and determine if you or your child(ren) qualify for survivors benefits. The funeral home is required to notify the SSA of deaths, but you’ll want to call them at 800-772-1213 regardless to initiate any survivors benefits.

Inform Credit Bureaus

According to the Experian website, you can send one of the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, a certified copy of the death certificate. They will flag your spouse’s credit report, which can help prevent identity theft. They will also let the other agencies know about the death, so you do not need to contact all three. To report a death to Experian, upload a copy of the death certificate online or mail it to this address:

Experian’s Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 4500
Allen, TX 75013

At the same time that you notify the credit bureau, request a copy of your late spouse’s credit report. This will help you identify any credit cards that need to be closed.

Cancel Debit & Credit Cards

Cancel any debit and credit cards that are only in your spouse’s name. The company will ask for a copy of the death certificate in order to close the account.

Notify Financial Institutions

Notify financial institutions of the death so they can freeze any accounts that are solely in your late spouse’s name. They will require a copy of the death certificate.

Cancel the Passport

According to the U.S. Department of State website, mail the passport, a certified copy of the death certificate, and a letter requesting the cancellation and return (or destruction) of the passport to this address:

U.S. Department of State
Consular Lost and Stolen Passport Unit (CLASP)
CA/PPT/S/TO/LE
44132 Mercure Circle
P.O. Box 1227
Sterling, VA 20166-1227

Cancel the Driver’s License

Most, if not all, states eventually receive notifications of drivers who have died from their vital records department and cancel their license automatically. But since it may take a while, it’s a good idea to contact your state’s motor vehicle department to find out what their process is for cancelling licenses.

Update Voter Registration Records

All states have a process for removing deceased voters from their voter registration lists, some more frequently than others, documented on the Voting Rights Lab website. Most processes run monthly, but you may want to proactively contact your state or county to find out how to remove your partner from their list.

Close Personal Payment Accounts

Close your partner’s personal payment accounts. Each payment provider has a separate process requiring a death certificate: Venmo, Paypal, Apple Pay.

Close Email Accounts

To prevent fraud and identify theft, close your spouse’s email account. The process varies by email provider, but they typically require a death certificate and proof of your identity as executor or a relative. Here are the processes for a few email providers: Google, Yahoo, Outlook or Hotmail. Outlook, Hotmail and Google automatically close accounts after 2 years of inactivity, while Yahoo closes them after 1 year.