Data broker opt-out steps widows should take in 90 days

Three weeks after her husband's funeral, Carol's phone rings. The caller knows her husband's name, their address and their daughter's name, even mentioning that she lives across town.

He says he's calling from a life insurance company and that there's a policy ready to be paid out. He just needs Carol's Social Security number and bank routing details to process it.

This scenario draws from real scams reported by fraud investigators and elder abuse advocates across the country. The details change, but the playbook stays the same.