Sadly it can be quite common for a deceased identity to be stolen, these steps could help reduce that chance. 

• Be careful of the information you put in the obituary and try to leave sensitive information out. 

• Be aware of possible scams from people posing to be funeral assistance, medicare, credit, life insurance, and tax fraud. To avoid this make sure the business is credible. 

• Obtain copies of the death certificate in order to legally record the death. 

• Alert all major credit reporting agencies. Notify any one of the three major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) about your deceased family member. The reporting agency will place a “deceased” notice on the report, which works as a permanent freeze and prevents fraudsters from getting credit by posing as the deceased individual

• Monitor Credit Card Reports Regularly 

• Identify any outstanding debt. If you're certain of the deceased debt then you can avoid scams claiming they owe money. 

• Notify Financial institutions, so they can monitor and flag any activity under the deceased identity

• Alert the IRS, and submit a copy of the death certificate along with the decedent’s final returns. To obtain the decedent's income documents, submit an IRS Form 4506-T. Eligible survivors can also claim the decedent’s refunds with Form 1310.

• Contact DMV, Social Security Administration, all insurance companies, and Veterans Administration (if applicable)