The Federal Trade Commission helps protect deceased persons from identity theft through IdentityTheft.gov, the federal government's official reporting and recovery resource. When someone dies, their identity is vulnerable to fraud. The FTC provides tools for reporting identity theft, generating recovery plans, and creating pre-filled letters for creditors and credit bureaus.

Death notification

The FTC does not receive death reports directly. To protect a deceased person from identity theft, the family or executor should place a deceased alert with the credit bureaus, report any known fraud at IdentityTheft.gov, and notify the Social Security Administration. The credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) place a deceased flag on the credit file to prevent new accounts from being opened.

Deadline: As soon as possible after death to minimize identity theft risk

Survivor benefits

The FTC offers 2 benefits for surviving family members.

Identity Theft Recovery Plan

IdentityTheft.gov generates a personalized recovery plan when identity theft of a deceased person is reported. The system creates an official Identity Theft Report (a legal document), pre-filled sample letters for creditors and credit bureaus, and a step-by-step checklist. The FTC collects reports to inform law enforcement actions but does not resolve individual cases directly.

Credit Bureau Deceased Notice

Placing a deceased notice (also called a deceased alert) with the credit bureaus flags the credit file so lenders are warned not to approve new credit applications. Notify each of the three nationwide credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) by sending a certified copy of the death certificate; current mailing addresses and online submission options are listed on each bureau's website.

When someone dies