Identity Theft After Death: Talk to a Funeral Home in Chicago, IL About This Problem

Did you know that your deceased loved ones can be targets of identity theft? Unfortunately, this is not uncommon. Law enforcement and financial experts estimate that around 800,000 deceased persons become victims of identity theft each year. Experts say that identity theft is one of the fastest growing types of crime, and deceased victims account for nearly one third of all identity theft victims every year.

Identity theft can happen for a number of reasons and take a number of forms. Among the most common examples are:

• Opening a credit account in a deceased person’s name
• Taking over and cleaning out a deceased person’s bank or brokerage accounts
• Avoiding criminal prosecution by fraudulently providing a deceased person’s information during an arrest

When a criminal commits identity theft or fraud against a deceased person, it usually ends up hurting the estate beneficiaries as well. Identity theft can create additional debt in your loved one’s name, steal their hard-earned money or even tarnish their reputation and good name. Because of the far-reaching effects of identity theft and the variety of ways in which thieves may use a deceased person’s information, the ramifications of identity theft should not be taken lightly.

How to get help

Fortunately, it is possible to remedy the effects of identity theft, and there are resources available to ensure no one has to undertake this process alone. Seeking help can be particularly useful when you’re dealing with the theft of a deceased loved one’s identity, as the loss of someone close to you is already a difficult and challenging time.

One helpful resource to contact is the Identity Theft Resource Center, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting victims of identity theft and educating the public on subjects related to identity theft, including cyber-security issues, privacy issues and more. The organization can be reached at www.idtheftcenter.org. (For information specifically related to identity theft after death, search using the keyword “deceased”.)

Another resource that shouldn’t be overlooked is the funeral home in Chicago, IL that assisted with arrangements after your loved one’s passing. Funeral homes are able to provide brochures and advice related to dealing with complex issues after a loved one’s death, including identity theft.

All of us at Marik-Baken Funeral Services Ltd. want our clients to know that we take the security of their loved ones’ information very seriously. When making funeral arrangements, we will ask our clients some personal questions and request some important identifying information, such as their loved one’s Social Security number, place of birth, parents’ names, home address, educational details, occupation and other details. We only ask this for this information because it is legally required for inclusion on the Death Certificate. Please know that we keep this information very confidential, only sharing it with the required legal authorities.

In any dealings with a funeral home in Chicago, IL, you should be able to rest easy knowing that your loved one’s information is in trustworthy hands. For more details about how we work to protect your loved one’s identifying information, please reach out to Marik-Baken Funeral Services Ltd. today.

Categorised in: Funeral Service

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