The following is a transcript of a report by Call 4 Action reporter Aaron Saykin that first aired March 19, 2007, on WTAE Channel 4 Action News at 5 p.m.

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Burying a loved one is hard enough, but imagine finding out the person who just passed has also become a victim of fraud.

It's known as "grave robbery," and the scam appears to be growing in popularity.

"It seems in a sense beyond the pale to most of us, and we cannot imagine who would do it, but obviously, it is done," said consumer advocate March Bach.

Bach is referring to thieves stealing the identities of the recently deceased, which is a problem becoming serious enough for AARP to issue an alert in its latest bulletin.

The bulletin warns that thieves are using the names of those who have just died to open checking accounts and credit cards, among other schemes.

"They are thinking in ways that honest people simply don't think," said Bach.

Thieves often prey upon information they find in the obituary pages, information that is often too specific, like exact dates of birth, addresses and mothers' maiden names.

With that information, they can find Social Security numbers online.

And as families mourn the loss of their loved ones, they're forced to repair the damage, which could take time and money to make sure they're not held responsible.

The state attorney general's office has not received any reports of the scam occurring locally yet, but that does not necessarily mean that it's not happening.

Bach said many of the incidents cases go unreported, so how can you prevent it?

The AARP recommends four things:

Avoid specific information in obituaries like exact dates of birth.

Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles to cancel their driver's license.

Mail copies of the death certificate to all three credit-monitoring agencies.

Continue to monitor their credit.

Every year, on behalf of the deceased, a free credit check is allowed from each of the three major credit-monitoring agencies, but make sure you use the Web site AnnualCreditReport.com. The others might try to charge you.

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