Summary

Immediate actions are necessary to secure a deceased loved one's digital and physical assets to prevent identity theft and other security breaches.

Abstract

When a loved one passes away, the initial focus is often on the immediate tasks such as notifying family and arranging for the mortuary. However, it is equally crucial to promptly secure their digital footprint. This includes finding and safeguarding their password book, taking control of their phone and computer, and changing passwords to prevent unauthorized access. Additionally, ensuring the deceased's home is not left unattended can deter theft, as public announcements like social media posts and obituaries can signal an empty house. Installing smart cameras may also be prudent for added security. Notifying Social Security right away is recommended to prevent fraudulent credit card applications and other identity-related crimes.

Opinions

The author emphasizes the importance of being proactive in protecting a deceased loved one's identity and assets, suggesting that traditional methods of handling death may not be sufficient in the digital age.
There is a distrust of even family members, as the author warns that greed can lead to theft and suggests that not all family can be relied upon in the aftermath of a death.
The author shares a personal experience with identity theft occurring shortly after a loved one's death, which underscores the urgency of taking protective measures.
The use of smart cameras is recommended as a modern solution to enhance security and monitor the deceased's property.
The author indicates that relying on the mortuary to notify Social Security may be too slow, advocating for direct and swift communication with the agency to prevent identity theft.

5 Non-Obvious Things You Must Do Quickly When a Loved One Dies

Trouble can come in fast

The first day of dealing with a loved one dying may be the most challenging time of your life.

The grief and sadness hit hard.

Despite your feelings, there are obvious things that need to be done right away. You may need to call 911. Then, the mortuary needs to be called. The family needs to be notified.

Even though they’re difficult, you do them because they are important and necessary.

However, it’s also essential for someone to remain clear-headed enough to take care of a few things you might not think of. Some of these I learned the hard way after helping a few friends and family members through hospice.

For example, my mother-in-law Elaine’s identity was hacked three days after she passed because of her home nurse.

The first thing to do is find their book of passwords, if they have one, and hide or remove it from the house.

This one thing alone can prevent a lot of havoc. Elaine’s password book disappeared the day she died. The hospice nurse took it and then passed it on to others, who proceeded to get into her Apple ID account to order iPads.

The thieves also tried to open several credit cards since they now had access to her information.

You may be wondering how they bypassed the two-factor authentication. Well, the password book included the login for Elaine’s cell phone carrier, which enabled them to transfer her phone number to one of their phones.

My wife and I figured out something was happening when Elaine’s phone showed no service.

This leads me to another thing to do.

Take control of their phone, and don’t let anyone see or take it.

Many people keep the line active for a couple of weeks, and that’s fine, but the phone should only be in the hands of one trustworthy person.

Similarly, if they have a desk computer, unplug everything immediately. If it’s a laptop, treat it the same as their phone. Unplug it and put it in a safe place until you’re ready to untangle their digital life.

If you know the password to log in, someone else may also know it. Change it.

If the deceased lived alone, make sure someone stays in the house.

These days, people put the information of their loved one’s passing on social media, which signals to some that there may be no one guarding the home. It’s the same with obituaries.

Be careful who stays in the home.

I know this sounds paranoid, but you may be unable to trust your family. Greed does strange things to people, including family members you thought you could rely on. Things have a way of walking out.

This might sound like overkill, but I also installed several smart cameras on the house.

These came in handy when someone drove by and shot through a window. Crazy, I know, and Elaine didn’t even live in a bad neighborhood.

Call Social Security and let them know your loved one has passed.

Usually, this is handled by the mortuary, but this method can take up to 30 days for the government to be notified. That’s far too long in this digital age.

The best bet to call SS would be a spouse or partner since SS will ask a lot of questions, trying to determine if you’re genuine. Many of these questions are based on knowledge of the deceased and will be hard to answer if you don’t know the person well.

Calling Social Security quickly kept the majority of credit card applications by the thieves from going through.

These suggestions are to help you secure and protect assets and belongings until things calm down enough for everything to be sorted out and dealt with. It’s a shame that, as a society, we would need to handle things this way, but there’s no denying the world has changed.