Cyberattacks on the dead. Not a popular topic, but the problem is growing
Throughout our lives, we produce gigabytes of data on the Internet and publish a lot of information about ourselves and our loved ones. It’s not a topic we often think about, but the digital world, like the real world, needs to be sorted out after you leave. All information and profiles left behind by the deceased may become a target for cybercriminals, and for loved ones such situations are a source of additional suffering in mourning – warn experts from the NASK institute.
What is ghosting scam, how do fraudsters use data posted online after the death of an Internet user and how to ensure the security of accounts that once belonged to our loved ones?
Ghosting scam – what is it? |
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Impersonating a dead person is a type of fraud called a “ghosting scam.” Perpetrators look for information about the deceased in obituaries, funeral homes, hospitals and websites, then use it to open accounts, take out loans or obtain insurance benefits. Washington National reports that as many as 2.5 million dead Americans fall victim to identity theft each year. |
Fraudsters are increasingly operating on social media |
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Although, at first glance, taking over a deceased person’s profile does not pose as serious a threat as taking out a loan using his or her data, the effects of such actions can also be highly harmful. Firstly, it often happens that a specific asset is associated with someone’s social media account – a website managed by him with a large audience, an e-commerce activity or a personal brand (e.g. in the case of influencers). Secondly, the account of a deceased person often has great emotional and sentimental value for the family and friends of the deceased – it becomes an important souvenir of the deceased and a place to cultivate his or her memory. |
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The latter is well known to fraudsters who specialize in “hijacking” the social media accounts of deceased people. This type of perpetrator hacks into the account of a user whose death he learned about either in the real world or thanks to information on the Internet, and then begins to use it actively – uploads content, sends invitations to friends, writes to family and friends. Additionally, he changes profile data such as date of birth or place of residence to make it difficult for the family to prove that the account belongs to the deceased. All these actions have a specific purpose – to arouse anxiety in the deceased’s relatives (who suddenly speaks from beyond the grave) or to cause discomfort by violating the memory of the deceased, especially if the fraudster intentionally publishes content on the deceased’s profile that is controversial or otherwise unpleasant for his or her loved ones. Once this has been achieved, the perpetrator makes demands – usually financial – to be met, to return the deceased’s account to the family. |
How can we, the living, protect the identities of our loved ones? |
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Although more and more online platforms offer the possibility of taking care of what happens to our account after death, many users still do not use this option. Meanwhile, securing our “digital identity”, consisting of accounts on online platforms and the data contained therein, in the event of death, is extremely important. However, even if the deceased himself did not decide about the fate of his profiles on the Internet, his relatives can still do so after his death. Since the law does not regulate the obligations of websites in this respect, these possibilities will vary depending on the platform on which the deceased had an account. Some websites do not take into account in their regulations how to deal with the accounts of dead users. Currently, however, many of them, especially large social media platforms, provide account owners and their loved ones with various options for actions in the event of their death. |
Facebook “In Memoriam” |
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While still alive, a Facebook user can choose whether he or she wants his or her account to be converted to an “In memoriam” account or deleted after his or her death. He or she can also choose an account custodian. If the user does not choose any of these options, his relatives will be able to decide on this issue. To give your account status“In memoriam”family members or a close friend should submit a dedicated application on Facebook, which should be accompanied by a document confirming the death (a scan or photo of the deceased person’s obituary, death certificate, commemorative card or other documentation confirming the user’s death). In turn, to delete the account of a deceased user, his or her relatives should send, using a dedicated application, a document confirming that they are members of the immediate family or executors of the account owner’s will. Facebook accepts documents such as power of attorney, birth certificate, last will and testament, and certificate of appointment as administrator of the estate. In addition, you should send a scan or photos of a death certificate, an obituary, or a card commemorating the deceased user.
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