Accounting & Bookkeeping & Small Business Forum

[Richard Noot]

Althoughnot really accounting or tax related, I felt the following info needs to be passed on to the forum and shared with our clients.

The following are excerpts from the March 2007 AARP Bulletin:Scammers have been trolling thru obituaries for the names and addresses of deceased people. They then buy the social security numbers and other data such as credit histories of the recently departed FOR AS LITTLE AS $15.00 ON THE INTERNET.

In 2004 there were about 400,000 checking accounts opened in the name of the deceased. Some 150 car loans valued at over 1,500,000.00 were obtained this way.

Although it is unlikely that family members would be held responsible, they still pay a price in time and money in unsnarling the bank and credit records of deceased relatives.

To save yourself time and money as well as protecting the name and reputation of your deceased family member the following steps need to be taken.

1. Do NOT include details such as the day and month of birth of the deceased in the obituary. Use yr of birth ONLY.
2. Mail copies of the death certificates to all three credit reporting agencies.
3 Mail copies of death certificate to all credit issuers of the deceased
4. Contact the state dept. of motor vehicles to cancel any drivers licenses.
5. A few weeks after doing the above run the FREE credit report authorized by federal law. The official address is www.annualcreditreport.com

[Evangelist Tom Raymond]

Thanks Richard for informing us of that, and I will make sure I follow that to the tee.

[KKrish]

Thanks for the information!