This is one of the most important protective steps you can take in the first few weeks, and it is one of the least discussed.
When someone dies, their Social Security number does not immediately disappear from credit systems. It remains active and searchable. And scammers who target new widows — who watch obituaries and compile lists — know this. Opening fraudulent credit accounts in a deceased person's name, filing false tax returns using their Social Security number, and other forms of posthumous identity theft are common and can create significant complications that take months to unravel.
A credit freeze prevents any new credit from being opened using his Social Security number.
Here is how to do it.
Contact each of the three major credit bureaus separately — a freeze with one does not automatically apply to the others.
**Equifax:** equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services or 1-800-685-1111 **Experian:** experian.com/freeze/center.html or 1-888-397-3742 **TransUnion:** transunion.com/credit-freeze or 1-888-909-8872
You will need: his Social Security number, the death certificate, your own identification, and your contact information.
Request a credit freeze — sometimes called a security freeze — specifically noting that the account holder is deceased. The bureaus have a specific process for this.
**Also consider:** requesting a copy of his credit report from each bureau before freezing. This lets you see any accounts you may not have been aware of that need to be notified of his death and closed.
**And file with the IRS:** the Social Security Administration will eventually notify the IRS of the death, but you can also notify the IRS directly to flag the account against fraudulent tax filings. A CPA can help with this.
This takes approximately one to two hours across all three bureaus. The protection it provides is worth every minute.
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