Death Is Inevitable. Fraud Doesn’t Have to Be.  

When a deceased individual’s SSN is used to apply for a new account, traditional controls may not detect the risk. The identity looks legitimate. The fraud hides in plain sight. Berwyn’s CertiDeath® intelligence verifies whether an applicant is deceased — protecting against stolen SSNs, synthetic identity fraud, improper payments, and regulatory exposure. 

The Onboarding Blind Spot

Fraudsters target deceased identities because they’re less likely to trigger immediate alerts. 

Those identities are used to:

  • Open deposit and credit accounts
  • Secure loans using stolen SSNs 
  • Build synthetic identities on legitimate credentials

If a deceased identity clears onboarding, exposure begins on day one — leading to charge-offs, investigations, SAR activity, and scrutiny around CIP/KYC controls.

Stopping fraud at origination protects margins immediately.

What CertiDeath Delivers

CertiDeath® is Berwyn’s proprietary death intelligence solution built for regulated financial institutions. 

It strengthens controls at two critical points: 

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At Account Opening

Verify whether an SSN or applicant identity is associated with a deceased individual before approval to: 

Prevent fraudulent account openings

Disrupt synthetic identity schemes 

Strengthen identity verification controls 

 

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Across Your Portfolio

Identify deceased account holders to reduce: 

Improper payments 

Government reclamations 

Continued account access after death 

Identity misuse in dormant accounts 

 

Why Berwyn?

Berwyn has specialized in death intelligence for more than 35 years, supporting 2,000+ institutions nationwide. 

 

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35+ years of expertise

 

 

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40,000+ data sources

 

 

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60+ million lives monitored annually

 

 

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Designed for fraud, compliance, and audit defensibility 

 

 

Estate & Locate Services

When a legitimate account holder passes away, resolution must be efficient and compliant. 

Berwyn’s locate services help institutions: 

  • Identify next of kin or beneficiaries
  • Accelerate estate resolution
  • Reduce manual research burden 

This protects operational efficiency and customer trust during sensitive moments. 

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Are Deceased Identities Creating Risk at Your Front Door? 

Fraud tied to deceased identities often appears legitimate until losses surface. Identify onboarding and portfolio gaps before they become charge-offs or compliance findings.