My mother was not the computer sort, so I used to help her with her Skymiles account using one of my back-up email addresses. She's been dead 8 years now and Delta is still sending 2 or 3 emails a month to the email address. In the past I've sent them emails saying she was deceased but never received a response. A recent email from Delta referenced recent travel, which made me wonder if someone is fraudulently using her account. I logged into Skymiles and sent Delta a message stating that my mother was now 8 years deceased and if there was any activity on the account it was fraudulent, and to please close the account.

So from a logged in account, complete with her account number, address and password, I got a message back. It starts by addressing me by the wrong name and then switches to addressing my mother (remember I had clearly stated in my message that she is dead) and refuses to close the account unless she sends them her death certificate. I know there is variation in what data is on a death certificate, but on hers there is a whole of personal data that Delta has no right to view, so we won't be sending Delta a copy.

Moral of the story: once Delta has your data in their clutches, they'll never let go, even when you're dead.