Misuse of a deceased person’s financial accounts is a fairly common identity theft tactic. In this Oregon case, a woman purchased a lottery ticket using a stolen credit card belonging to her deceased mother-in-law. The ticket turned out to be a $1 million dollar winner. But, if she is convicted of identity theft, she could end up with nothing.
This unfortunate case is a prime example of the importance of closing a deceased relative’s accounts and reporting their death to the credit bureaus. A few quick phone calls can help family members protect their deceased relative’s accounts from misuse. The credit bureaus can be notified by calling their identity theft hotlines and providing a copy of the death certificate.
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