Ghosting is a form of identity theft in which someone steals the identity, and sometimes the social role, of a specific dead person whose death is not widely known. The person assuming the identity is usually close in age to what the deceased would have been, so that documents citing the deceased's birthdate do not conspicuously contradict the thief's claimed identity.
Facts
Elements of OffenseGhosting depends on the deceased person's death not being widely known, so the impersonator, usually close in age to the deceased, can assume an identity that is already listed in government records and left dormant by the original holder's death. 1 Notable ExampleSamuel Jones, an English-born hobo, appropriated the identity of fellow hobo Wallace Ford after Ford was killed in a train accident, and became a successful actor under the name Wallace Ford, starring on Broadway and in Hollywood films. 1 Classification
Offense GradeMinor or Summary Offense 1 Connections
Has Offense Grade
Entity-backed identity for the offense-grade enum value this offense already carries, resolved to a crime concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The offense-grade fact itself stays on the offense unchanged.
Sources
1. Ghosting (Identity Theft) (Wikipedia)
WikipediaWikipedia, lead section, second paragraph
The use of counterfeit identification falsely documenting a completely fictional identity is not ghosting, as false identification cannot be used to obtain social services or interact with government agencies or law enforcement officials.
Wikipedia, Notable cases section, Wallace Ford
became a successful actor under the name Wallace Ford, eventually starring on Broadway and in Hollywood films
Wikipedia, lead section, purpose of ghosting
The purpose of ghosting is to enable the ghoster to appropriate an existing identity that is already listed in government records, an identity that is dormant because its original possessor is dead.
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