Tag Archives: decedent

Update on Whether It’s a Crime for Fiduciaries to Access a Decedent’s Online Accounts

I’ve written previously that using an incapacitated or deceased person’s passwords to access that person’s online accounts may not be permitted under the Web service’s Terms of Service contract, and it might even be construed as “unauthorized access” under a … Continue reading

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Sharing Your Facebook Password With Employers, Schools, or Fiduciaries

Previously, I’ve written about courts ordering spouses to reveal their Facebook passwords in the course of a divorce proceeding. In the past few weeks, there have been several stories about employers asking a job applicant to reveal the applicant’s Facebook … Continue reading

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Jim Lamm Quoted in The Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog

On February13, 2012, I was quoted in The Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog in the article “What Happens to Your ‘Digital Assets’ When You Die?” by Steve Eder. The article also quotes my colleague, Gene Hennig, who co–authored a Project … Continue reading

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Planning Ahead for Access to Contents of a Decedent’s Online Accounts

February 1 was informally designated as “Change Your Password Day,” and a good collection of articles is available at Lifehacker.com about how to test the strength of your passwords, how to update your passwords with “strong” passwords, and a list … Continue reading

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Zappos.com Customer Account Information Compromised

On January 15, 2012, Zappos.com announced that their customer account information may have been compromised, including customer names, e–mail addresses, billing and shipping addresses, and phone numbers. CNN reports that this affects 24 million Zappos.com customers. Fortunately, Zappos.com announced that customer … Continue reading

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Unique Virtual Sword Sells for $16,000 in Age of Wulin Video Game

I’ve written before about estate planning and charitable giving with video games and virtual worlds. Here’s another example of how valuable digital property can be—including virtual items in video games. In December 2011, the developers of the video game Age … Continue reading

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How to Delete Online Accounts and Digital Footprints

On November 10, 2011, Jeffrey A. Lambert posted a story at Maximum PC called How to Erase Your Digital Footprint. The article describes how much information Facebook, Google, and other companies collect about your Web browsing and other Internet activities, especially … Continue reading

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IRS Chief Counsel Advises IRS Agent Not to Request Taxpayer E-Mail Contents From ISP

In IRS Chief Counsel Advice 201141017, an IRS agent tried to obtain a taxpayer’s e–mail contents from the taxpayer’s Internet Service Provider (ISP) without a warrant. The taxpayer’s ISP refused the IRS agent’s request, citing provisions of the Stored Communications … Continue reading

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Importance of Preserving “Electronic Evidence” During Incapacity or After Death

Recently, four potential heirs were found guilty of conspiracy to murder, based on evidence of Google searches for “easiest way to kill an old person,” “poisonous toadstools,” and “1,000 ways to die,” followed by an attack carried out on their … Continue reading

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Ponzi Scheme in Online Video Game

In August 2011, thousands of players of the video game EVE Online found out that they were victims of an in–game Ponzi scheme. Players invested virtual currency in an in–game virtual company that paid out high returns supported by other … Continue reading

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