My husband, 42, died unexpectedly about a month ago. Yesterday, his phone rang. It was a notification of a charge on his card.

The payment was for a hotel room, made just minutes before. I quickly drove to the hotel address. On the way, a text message appeared on his phone.

The message read: “I’m already at the hotel, waiting for you.” As I drove, I began to sweat and my hands shook. Then, unexpectedly, his phone rang. I froze when I heard a woman exclaim, “Where are you, love?” “I have been waiting for you for an hour!” I yelled and asked who she was.

She seemed perplexed and asked, “Isn’t this Jake’s phone?”

But my husband’s name was not Jake. His name was Daniel. Jake, a 23-year-old, had hacked my late husband’s phone and stolen all of his personal information, including his credit card.

I contacted the authorities, and they were able to resolve everything. But for a tiny minute, I allowed myself to believe the impossible. That perhaps, somehow, my husband was still alive.