Article

Ghosting: The Dark Reality of Stolen Lives

By Laura Harris Sep 11, 2023

Ghosting is not just when your new potential partner avoids texting or calling you back after the first date. It is also a form of long-term identity theft. 

Take the case of Napoleon Gonzalez. While he was born in 1937, his younger brother Guillermo was born in 1939 but died as an infant, which is often how identity thieves get the identities to run the long con. Court records indicate that Gonalez took on his deceased brother's identity as far back as the 1960s. He created passports, IDs, social security cards and more under his brother’s name. When Napoleon retired in 1999, two years later, so too did Guillermo. Gonzalez was able to collect both retirement benefits. He also claimed to have served in the Air Force, where he was able to use the second identity as cover as needed. Further, he attempted to buy a dead body to fake his own death and collect life insurance benefits. The Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles was able to use face recognition software in 2020 to discover that the two Gonzalez’s were in fact the same Gonzalez. 

Unfortunately, identities stolen from deceased children make many crimes possible. Ava Misseldine stole the identity of a baby who died in 1979 and has been using the information for the past two decades, obtaining licenses (not just a driver’s license but also a student pilot license), passports and loans. She even gained employment under the identity. However, like many, she also committed theft against the Paycheck Protection Program. The proceeds from her theft went to purchase homes in Michigan and Utah, which have since been sold to recoup the stolen money. Multiple identities and multiple thefts were not enough to deter the discovery of her crimes.

Ghosting can also happen in the time between when a person dies and the government or their financial institution is notified of their death. Thieves will read obituaries, search death records and genealogy websites, and explore any opportunity to find the information they require.  For example, the Death Master File (DMF) from the Social Security Administration (SSA) contains more than 83 million records of deaths that have been reported to the SSA. However, since it is only based on reported deaths, the SSA does not guarantee the veracity of the file. Which is to say, the absence of a particular person is not proof this person is alive. This file does include the social security number, name, date of birth and date of death of the reported persons. Understandably, access to the DMF is limited. Financial and credit firms and government agencies all use the file to match records and prevent identity fraud. 

How to Protect Children From 'Ghosting' Fraud

September 1 is National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day. More than 1.3 million children are victimized by identity theft every year, 50% are six years old or younger, and the average age is decreasing.

One thing parents can do to protect their children’s credit from unscrupulous family members or predatory identity thieves is to enact a credit freeze. Those under 18 do not have credit reports, and thus makes them an easy target due to a lack of bad credit, a security freeze will establish a report and then restricts access to it and the ability to open new accounts with its use. Security freezes are free but must be done separately for each credit bureau (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion). 

Locking your child’s credit can be more involved than when you lock your own. First, you will need all your own documentation:

  • A copy of your driver’s license or other government-issued identification
  • A copy of your Social Security card
  • A copy of your birth certificate

As well as the identity of the child:

  • A copy of the child’s Social Security card
  • A copy of the child’s birth certificate

Next, you must provide evidence that you are the child’s parent, legal guardian or authorized representative:

  • A copy of the child’s birth certificate
  • A copy of a court order
  • A copy of a lawfully executed and valid power of attorney
  • A copy of a foster care certification

While it might seem tedious, these measures verify that the person freezing the child’s credit has the authority to do so. Remember, this process must be followed for each credit union separately. Requests can be submitted for multiple children, but you must ensure all the important documentation is included with the appropriate credit union form. Minors who are 16 or 17 may request their own security freeze and can do so by phone or by mail.

The process should take a few business days once received. A confirmation letter should be sent that the security freeze has been placed or if more information is needed to complete the process. The copies of the provided documentation will be securely retained, stored or properly destroyed.

After the child’s credit report is frozen, it will remain frozen until the parent, guardian or authorized representative changes it or if the child, after their 16th birthday, lifts or removes it. Temporary or permanent lifts must be submitted in writing by the appropriate requestor with the aforementioned documents for verification. 

The same steps can be applied for adult dependents in your care, but make sure to choose the appropriate form, such as the Equifax Incapacitated Adult Freeze Request form instead of the Minor Freeze Request Form.

 

Author:

Laura Harris, CFE

Research Specialist, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners