Yes, a deceased person's identity can be stolen, and thieves do it on purpose. Criminals use a dead person's Social Security number and personal details to open credit cards, take out loans, file fraudulent tax returns, and run up debt in their name. The practice is common enough to have a nickname: "ghosting." The good news is that a few specific steps in the first weeks after a death close most of the openings thieves rely on.

This guide walks through who to notify, how to flag the credit file, and the warning signs that someone has already targeted your loved one's identity.

Why thieves target people who have died

There is a gap between the day someone dies and the day every company, agency, and credit bureau learns about it. That gap can last weeks or months, and thieves know it. During that window, a deceased person's credit looks active and unwatched, which makes it an easy target.

Several things make the recently deceased attractive:

• The information is out there. Obituaries often list a birth date, hometown, mother's maiden name, and relatives' names. That is most of what someone needs to impersonate the deceased.
• No one is watching the credit file. A living person notices a surprise credit card. A grieving family rarely checks the deceased's credit report.
• Accounts stay open. Until each bank, card issuer, and lender is notified, the accounts remain usable.

Protecting your loved one is mostly about closing that window quickly.

Step 1: Order enough certified death certificates

Almost every organization you notify will ask for a certified copy of the death certificate. Banks, credit bureaus, and government agencies generally will not act on a photocopy. Order more than you think you need so a single missing copy does not stall the whole process. Our guide on how to order death certificates covers how many to request and why.

Step 2: Report the death to Social Security

The Social Security Administration feeds its records into the Death Master File, which many financial institutions check before issuing credit. A funeral home will often report the death for you, but confirm it was done instead of assuming. If you need to report it yourself, call the SSA or visit a local office with the death certificate. This single notification does a lot of quiet work to shut down future fraud.

Step 3: Notify the three credit bureaus and flag the file

This is the most important step, and the one families most often skip. You want each bureau to place a "deceased, do not issue credit" notice on the file so no new accounts can be opened.

Send a copy of the death certificate to each of the three bureaus by certified mail. Include the deceased's full legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, date of death, last known address, and your relationship to them. Ask in writing for a deceased flag and for a copy of the credit report so you can review it for accounts you do not recognize.

The mailing addresses:

• Equifax: P.O. Box 105139, Atlanta, GA 30348
• Experian: P.O. Box 4500, Allen, TX 75013
• TransUnion: P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016

You only need to send the death certificate to all three; they do not share deceased notices the way they share some other data. Keep proof of mailing for your records.

Step 4: Close or transfer the financial accounts

Reviewing the credit report tells you which accounts exist. Work through them one at a time. Notify each bank, credit card company, and lender of the death, and ask each one to close or freeze the account so it cannot be used.

This is also the moment to take stock of the full financial picture, both what the deceased owned and what they owed. Listing assets and liabilities side by side keeps you from missing an account a thief could exploit, and it is the same foundation you will need for settling the estate. Sunset helps families find accounts they did not know existed, including old cards and dormant lines of credit that are easy to overlook.

Step 5: Stop the prescreened credit offers

Those "you're pre-approved" mailers are a gift to a thief, because each one is a pre-filled application sitting in an unwatched mailbox. Register your loved one with the Deceased Do Not Contact List run by the Data & Marketing Association (DMAchoice). It removes the deceased from marketing and prescreened offer lists, which cuts down both the junk mail and the risk.

While you are at it, keep collecting and securing the deceased's mail. Forwarding it to the person handling the estate, or holding it at the post office, keeps sensitive documents out of the wrong hands.

Step 6: Watch for tax fraud

Tax-related identity theft is one of the most common forms of ghosting. A thief files a return using the deceased's SSN early in the season to grab a refund. The defense is to file the deceased's final tax return promptly and to keep an eye out for any notice that a return was already filed. If the IRS rejects a legitimate return because one was already submitted, that is a red flag worth acting on immediately.

Step 7: Notify the other agencies

A few more notifications close the remaining gaps:

• The DMV, to cancel the driver's license
• Voter registration
• Any professional licensing boards
• The passport agency for an active passport

Each of these is a piece of government-issued identity that a thief could otherwise misuse.

Warning signs the identity has already been stolen

Even with fast action, watch for these signals in the months after a death:

• Collection calls or letters for debts you do not recognize
• New credit cards or account statements arriving in the deceased's name
• A notice that a credit application was submitted
• The IRS rejecting a final return because one was already filed
• Credit report entries with accounts opened after the date of death

What to do if it happens

If you find fraud, act quickly and document everything. Report it at IdentityTheft.gov, the Federal Trade Commission's official site, which generates a recovery plan and an affidavit. File a report with local police, since some creditors require one. Then dispute the fraudulent accounts directly with the credit bureaus and the lender, sending the death certificate and the fraud report. Persistence matters here; a single letter is rarely enough, so keep copies and follow up.

How Sunset helps

Settling an estate already asks a lot of you, and guarding against fraud is one more task on a long list. Sunset is built to carry that weight. We help families find every account and policy the deceased left behind, handle the probate paperwork, open an FDIC-insured estate account to hold funds safely, and move money and assets to the right people. More than 10,000 families have used Sunset to settle an estate, and it is free for families.

Protecting a loved one's identity is really the same work as settling their estate well: knowing every account that exists, notifying the right institutions, and closing things out cleanly. Sunset can help you do both.

Frequently asked questions

Can a dead person's identity be stolen?
Yes. Thieves use a deceased person's Social Security number and personal details to open credit, take loans, and file fraudulent tax returns. It is common enough to have a name, "ghosting," and it usually happens in the weeks after a death before records catch up.

How do I notify credit bureaus that someone has died?
Mail a certified copy of the death certificate to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, along with the deceased's name, SSN, date of birth, date of death, and last address. Ask each bureau in writing to place a deceased notice on the file and to send you a copy of the credit report.

Do I have to contact all three credit bureaus?
Yes. The bureaus do not reliably share deceased notices, so send the death certificate to all three to make sure each file is flagged.

How long should I monitor a deceased person's credit?
Plan to watch for about a year. Request a credit report after notifying the bureaus, review it for unfamiliar accounts, and follow up if you see anything opened after the date of death.

What is the Deceased Do Not Contact List?
It is a registry run by the Data & Marketing Association (DMAchoice) that removes a deceased person from marketing and prescreened credit offer lists. Registering cuts down the junk mail that thieves use to apply for credit in someone else's name.

What should I do if I find fraud in the deceased's name?
Report it at IdentityTheft.gov, file a police report, and dispute the fraudulent accounts with the credit bureaus and lenders. Include the death certificate and keep copies of everything you send.