How to minimise the risk of fraud after death

Fraud against the dead is common enough to have a name: ghosting. A criminal uses a deceased person's identity to open accounts, take out credit or claim benefits. It works because there's a window, often months long, between the death and every organisation finding out.

The fraud prevention service Cifas recorded more than 242,000 cases of identity fraud in 2025, and deceased identities are a known target precisely because nobody is watching the victim's credit record. Fortunately, most of the risk can be closed off in the first couple of weeks.

Close the window quickly

Speed is the best defence. Each organisation that knows about the death is one less opportunity for criminals.

Tell Us Once is the place to start. Offered when you register the death, this free government service notifies HMRC, DWP, DVLA, the Passport Office and the local council in one go. It stops pensions and benefits (preventing overpayments you'd have to repay) and flags the passport and driving licence, two documents fraudsters want.

The Death Notification Service does the same for banks. It's free and lets you notify most major banks and building societies in a single submission; they typically respond within ten working days and freeze sole accounts. Frozen accounts can't be raided.

Then work through everything else, including insurers, utilities, pension providers and subscriptions. It's a long list, which is exactly why Willow was set up to help handle the notifications for you.

For extra protection, write to the three credit reference agencies (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) with a copy of the death certificate and ask for a deceased alert to go on the file.

Stopping mail

Letters addressed to the deceased are both distressing and a risk, as bank statements, renewal notices and pre-approved credit offers are all opportunities for fraud.

Register the death with The Bereavement Register and the Deceased Preference Service. Both are free, and both share the registration with credit reference agencies and fraud prevention bodies, so the protection goes beyond junk mail: lenders checking those databases will decline new credit applications in the deceased's name. If the property will be empty, set up a Royal Mail redirection so post comes to you instead.

Protect the empty house

An empty property is a target. Three precautions:

Keep the address and funeral time out of any public death notice
Tell the home insurer the property is unoccupied. Most policies restrict or void cover after 30 or 60 days empty
Remove obvious valuables and important documents early, photograph what remains

Expect scams aimed at you

Fraudsters deliberately target the recently bereaved given they're distracted, busy and dealing with an unfamiliar process. Treat with suspicion any unexpected contact about the estate, for example calls claiming to be HMRC chasing inheritance tax, "probate fees" demanded by email, debt collectors producing debts you can't verify, or letters about an unclaimed inheritance.

Never pay or share details in response to inbound contact. Hang up, find the organisation's number independently, and call back. Genuine creditors will prove the debt in writing; HMRC does not demand payment by phone; the probate fee is paid only through GOV.UK or by cheque to HMCTS with your application.

Don't forget the digital estate

The deceased's email account is key, as password resets all flow through it. Secure or close it early. Memorialise or close social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram and others have dedicated processes), and close online shopping accounts with stored cards. Since the Property (Digital Assets etc) Act 2025, digital assets such as cryptocurrency are legally recognised as property in England and Wales, so include them in the estate and secure any wallets promptly.

If fraud happens

Report it to Action Fraud (actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040), tell the bank or lender involved, and notify the credit reference agencies. You will not be liable for credit fraudulently obtained in the deceased's name, but the estate can't be properly settled until it's resolved.