Carrie Kerskie is the President of
Griffon Force, LLC
and is an expert in personal identity protection. She was recently a guest on It Takes Two and mentioned, off air, that individuals are seeing things like credit card offers and financial information being mailed to relatives who are deceased.
Being a victim of a scam, fraud or identity theft is a pain for the living, but can be even more frustrating when dealing with a scam involving a long gone relative. Often times, the work is left to the living – but you can greatly diminish the ability of criminals to gain access to your loved ones information by acting on the following:
Reporting a Death to the Credit Bureaus
Download and complete
ITRC Letter Form 117-1
NOTE: You should check mark all three areas of the “I would like to make the following request” section. Receiving and review the credit report may help you identify fraud as well as accounts that need to be notified of the death.
Once completed mail one copy to each credit bureau at the addresses listed below.
Experian
PO Box 4500
Allen, Texas 75013
Equifax
Equifax Information Services LLC
Office of Consumer Affairs
PO Box 150139
Atlanta, GA 30348
TransUnion LLC
PO Box 2000
Chester, PA 19022
Mail to each credit bureau with a certified return receipt.
Attach a death certificate along with supporting documentation as referenced on the letter – you will need to provide some proof of your relationship to the deceased.
Examples: marriage license, birth certificate, court appointment
Click here to download the CREDIT REPORT REQUEST FOR THE DECEASED
Related Content:
KFGO Podcast –
Identity Theft Myths and Tips
KFGO Podcast –
Beware of Fraudulent Storm Relief Fundraisers
KFGO Podcast –
How to Spot a “Skimmer” at the Gas Pump
