There are a reported 2.5 million cases of identity theft among the deceased every year. Theft of deceased people’s identity happens partly because of the availability of public records coupled with the time it takes for credit bureaus, the Social Security Administration, financial institutions and others to process a deceased person’s Social Security number (SSN) in their systems and close all current and future lines of credit.
http://bestidtheftcompanys.com/2013/10/identity-thieves-go-after-the-deceased/