Posted on 06/29/2013 8:42:26 AM PDT by xkaydet65
I received a phone call from American Express a few minutes ago telling me that Social Security had notified them of my wife's recent, three weeks ago, passing, and that they were cancelling her card and what payment arrangements did I wish to make. I hintend to deal with her cards and our accounts but for the life of me I can't comprehend what Social Security is doing passing bnews of her death to private institutions. Where in the law does SSS get this authority. Tea Party Patriot that my wife was, she would be outraged at this example of govt intrusion and overreach.
My condolences upon the passing of your wife.
Is it a matter of public record when someone passes away, and are records such as Social Security public knowledge? I don’t know; just asking the question. It seems odd that American Express would contact you in this manner.
My condolences upon the passing of your wife.
Is it a matter of public record when someone passes away, and are records such as Social Security public knowledge? I don’t know; just asking the question. It seems odd that American Express would contact you in this manner.
Social security death records are public. I can’t imagine the SS administration calling up credit cards. My guess is that credit card companies monitor this public information via their own computer programs because of the likelihood of potential fraud using a deceased person’s credit cards. It’s easier for the cc company to blame that SSA than to admit their own actions.
Public record, of course, but does the recording agent then have the right to send out this info to any and all financial institutions? My real estate taxes are a matter of public record but Nassau County does not send them to any and all law firms interested in getting me to retain them to reduce my taxes. Those firms must be proactive and seek the info. The caller told me notice of my wife’s death has been sent to credit card companies, banks, and lending institutions for them to match against their records. That goes somewhat beyond allowing access to public inf.
A reminder, only integrity and self values holds you responsible for your wife’s debts if you are not on her account. That said, I’d pay my wife’s debts if she owed them on her death.
As far as the Social Security Administration goes, they can go pound sand. I would not provide them anything of any nature. They would not exist in my mind. eff them.
make sure it is not a scam. My son’s cc companies wiped the record clean since she was the principle card holder. American Express may be different but I would check with them directly.
Sorry to hear about your wife.As to your question I’m 99% certain that SS death records are considered,under law,to be open to the public.If I’m correct then it would be easy,I would think,for a credit card company to scan these records regularly in order to prevent fraud,etc.I know that when I was the executor of my Dad’s estate the lawyer said that the first thing I had to do was officially inform SS of his passing so they could stop benefits.I was given some forms to sign and shorty after having done so his monthly checks stopped arriving.
Social Security updates the death master file on a weekly basis. Credit bureaus subscribe to this data and likely flag accounts of the deceased in case someone tries to use the cards or establish new accounts post mortem.
Of course it must hurt that the credit card company contacts you with a request like this so soon. The alternative is worse, however. A person's financial life is so complicated today that it's very difficult to stay on top of every bill and obligation. It doesn't take long before credit hounding, foreclosures, cancellations for late payment start.
Best wishes getting through all of this.
Prayers and sympathy.
Are you sure it was American Express that contacted you? There are crooks who get death announcements from the newspaper and do scams on the family. If it was indeed them, then I agree what business is it of SS notifying anyone?!? What was their attitude toward you?
It seems we’re going to be getting more flak from credit card companies and I suspect it’s all related to the NSA snoops. It won’t be just the cards, either. It’ll be EVERYTHING in our lives. This week, I had a very strange call from my card company. They’d been hunting me a couple days so I called them on their published number. Immediately, without me even asking them why they’d been calling, they jumped right into a spiel and started bullying me about setting up an online account and threatened that if my payment was ever late that they’d put a block on my card. Say what??? I’ve been with them forever and I do pay my bill. I’d never been treated like this from them. Whatever happened with customer service? I’m still floored by their attitude and how did the person know immediately to do this? If they wanted to lose a long time customer, they certainly made it very easy. It made me a believer in cash only purchases for now on. It was all very strange and creepy.
Amazing how efficient Uncle can be..yet today, decades later, with all the new computer technology, the IRS can mail out thousands of fraudulent refunds to the same address, and not notice that something's wrong..
I wonder if this is a recent new practice? My wife passed away in 2008. We had credit card bills, some joint and some in her name only, joint ownership of our house, property taxes, and other obligations. At that time, I was not contacted in this manner by anyone indicating that they knew she had passed away. I am surprised that this happened to you.
Very good advice.
yeah....just why AXP has your wife's info is beyond me...
in reality, haven't we always known that the govt and the financial companies and banks and big business were all in cahots?......one of these days, I'm hoping to be completely credit card free and only use cash....
Condolences upon your wife’s passing.
This sounds bogus.
Don’t talk to whoever called you. They may want to get your bank info, etc. It’s a definite scam — that’s why they wanted to know your payment arrangements, trying to get SS No and bank info. I bet if you call AmEx at the number YOU have for them, that’s on the card, they will tell you they did NOT make that call.
The credit card company would send you something in writing, not call you up like this.
Also — I presume you most likely had a joint account, so then you can make the payments as you have been doing. But in any case, they would send you things in the mail, NOT call you up.
If you did give this person on the phone any info, you better monitor your financial accounts very carefully.
I don't think that is correct. If you live in a community property state like CA and WA you are responsible.
In my state, if you are not specifically on the account - named as a co-card holder, you are not responsible for the debt. The card company has the action to file suit against the state to collect, however.
“BIG BROTHER”Is Here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As I said, it’s highly likely, almost definitely a scam.
I did a quick search on the internet, and they mentioned scams similar to your experience.
Here is one example:
http://www.pennypinchinghints.com/financial-savings/avoid-debt-scams-after-the-funeral/2961/
When loved ones die, the survivors are vulnerable. It is not the best time for survivors to make decisions. Not only are they in shock, but they are also hit with a lot of detail and paperwork.
Scam artists like to take advantage of this vulnerability, especially when it concerns elderly survivors. For example in 2002, a bogus collection company named Exodus Collection Services made phone calls to people asking to settle debts in the hundreds and provided a mail box address for collection. These calls came within only a few days of the funeral. Scammers can easily use information in recently published obituaries to get contact information for family members of the deceased.
Scammers do not only collect money, they also collect information like Social Security numbers and bank account numbers. Once they have these numbers they can access both the deceased’s and the survivors’ money.
The best protection against such scams is knowledge and a protocol to follow under these difficult circumstances of family’s loss.
When contacted by any collection agency, ask for written proof of the debt. They should be able to provide you the amount owed, the date the debt was acquired, and exactly who is owed. Never deal with information over the phone without something in writing, most importantly when dealing with debt.
Double check any bill collecting company. You can do so through the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) or through your state’s Attorney General’s office.
Understand probate procedure. All monies must be collected through an estate’s executor or through the probate court. You can provide contact information for either, but do not provide further information.
Know also that unless you have co-signed a debt, you have no obligation to pay the debt even if it is a debt accrued by a close family member who has recently died.
Bad situations can cause people to act in a panicked way. Just be sure when you feel most vulnerable that you should not deal with money or personal information over the phone. Secondly, don’t panic before you contact a lawyer or someone who has knowledge and authority over the estate of the dead person.
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