Identity Thief Targets Grieving Family

   

Posted: Jan 13, 2009

Consumers are learning firsthand that identity thieves have no limits when it comes to how low they will sink.

This week, the Philadelphia Inquirer told the story of the Chapgar family, which was coping with the death of their 23-year-old son, only to find out that somebody was opening credit card accounts in his name.

"We thought it was a freak thing. It was only after the second call that we started to pay attention," the man's mother, Kerban Chapgar, was quoted as saying.

No arrests have apparently been made for the attempted identity theft, but the family did reportedly place a fraud alert on their son's credit files. The Inquirer notes that consumers can contact one of the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian or TransUnion, to place a 90-day alert.

The newspaper also notes that families who recently lost a relative should contact the Social Security Administration and be ready to send a death certificate to creditors and other relevant businesses.

Consumers can also take steps to protect their own credit scores and personal finances by regularly checking their credit reports, shredding financial documents and carefully checking their monthly statements for unexpected charges.