When it comes to social media ghosting most of us know that means someone just disappears. Ghost Credit means you have a very slim credit profile or almost non existent. It could also mean that your file has been inactive for a long period of time such as 10 years.
However, when it comes to Credit Ghosting it means something entirely different. There are many ways an identity can be stolen. Sometimes and most common way is through your credit cards. But did you know some thieves steal passed loved ones identities and try to rebuild a new one. That’s right, they wait an appropriate timing for when they think the credit file might have fallen into Ghost status and then they steal it. They may find the information from a hospital or even the funeral home. Sometimes these criminals even file taxes with the information they collect.
To protect your loved one from becoming a victim of credit ghosting there are a few things you can do.
First of all you can start by making sure that not too many personal details are included in the obituaries, such as a birthdate, even a mothers maiden name can be violated. Some of these criminals even stalk for home burglaries during funeral arrangements, so don’t even list the home address. Contacting the social security office and report your loved ones passing, will make it easier to spot any threat quickly. You can do this by calling 800-772-1213. Its also wise to contact the department of motor vehicles and report to them as well so that no one can duplicate their license. In a few weeks of reporting everything, you can ease your worry by going to annualcreditreport.com to view their report and see if there has been any suspicious activity.
For more tips, visit the Identity Theft Resource Center and type “deceased” in the search box.