Shelly Palmer Radio Report – December 12, 2013

Dealing with death is tough enough, but today’s digital world has posed a new problem: What do you do with the Facebook account of a loved one who has passed? There’s no right or wrong choice when it comes to this decision, and it may seem like it doesn’t matter one way or the other, but leaving the profile online may put you and other loved ones at risk because of the site’s ever-changing privacy rules. Facebook’s primary policy when someone dies is to memorialize the account, so if you want to go this route, all you need to do is provide Facebook with proof of death and request for the account to be memorialized. If you’d rather delete the account altogether, you’ll need to fill out a form on Facebook and provide proof that you’re related to the deceased – either a death certificate, the deceased person’s birth certificate or proof of authority will do. While the whole process may seem trivial, cybercriminals see death as a prime time to strike. Protect yourself.