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In the past, an eloquently written obituary published in the local newspaper was the accepted norm. The obituary contained details of the deceased’s life, relatives, hobbies, and upcoming funeral services. In most cases, the information contained in the obituary will only be read by the subscribers of the local newspaper.
Fast forward to today’s digital age. While the obituary is still the format used to announce the death of a loved one, the methods and speed of publication have increased dramatically. Newspapers continue to print obituary notices; However, the information contained in the condolence notice is no longer limited to its customers, who pick up the newspaper at their doorstep. Most newspapers now have an edition on the Internet, allowing additional access to personal information that can be viewed by multiple individuals.
Unfortunately, this uptick in the number of people accessing obituaries of the deceased brings with it the danger of unscrupulous people attempting to defraud grieving survivors or commit identity theft. The standard information contained in an obituary notice can be used by devious individuals to inflict further suffering on those who have just lost a loved one. There may be attempted scams that may involve being contacted directly or over the phone by criminals;
- Posing as banking, insurance, or government officials and attempting to obtain information about the decedent such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, and maternal maiden names for the purpose of identity theft Name.
- Demands for payment of bills allegedly outstanding by the deceased as well as threats of prosecution if the payment is not received immediately.
- Send or attempt to deliver an item such as a book or piece of jewelry engraved with the name of a surviving spouse or child. The recipient is told that the item was ordered by the decedent prior to death. Of course, there is always talk of “dues paid” due for a gift.
- Burglary and burglarize the homes of survivors while they are at funeral services.
- Use the information on the death notice to open a credit card.
- Fortunately, there are simple steps that can be taken to write an obituary that will greatly reduce your chances of being targeted by criminals.
- Reduce the information given in the death notice. To limit the risk of identity theft, list only the year of birth of the decedent and do not include the maiden name of the mother.
- To avoid the onslaught of solicitors and reduce the risk of breaking into the home while the occupants are at the funeral services, do not include any addresses in the obituary.
- Close the deceased’s accounts and credit cards. Notify the credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) that the person has died. Once this information is updated by the agencies, if someone tries to open a credit card using the deceased’s information, the fraud will be detected.
Taking the above steps will help reduce identity theft and scams. After the death of a loved one, all bills should be carefully examined and any phone or in-person requests should be treated with skepticism. In this electronic age, taking such safeguards will help ensure that the bereaved are not subjected to additional grief.
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