What remains after us online — and how to deal with it

We were only acquainted online: games, chats, late-night conversations. His mother notified me of his death via his Telegram account and asked for help with his digital traces that remained.

I realized how vulnerable we all are when it comes to this topic. We were taught how to delete accounts. But they don't teach us what to do when someone leaves, taking with them passwords, accesses, profiles, subscriptions, and part of their digital life.

I only dealt with this topic for two days and may have overlooked something, so I would appreciate any additions in the comments. I want to send this basic search map to my friend's mom in response to her request.

Areas where a digital trace remains

Let's divide them into two parts:

• What you can access on your own (if you have the phone, SIM card, or passwords)

• What requires contacting the service or even going through a notary

What can be done on your own

Financial apps and wallets

These include: Sber, Tinkoff, VTB, Alfa, Raiffeisen, Yandex Money, QIWI, WebMoney, cashback services (LetyShops, Kopikot), cryptocurrency wallets (if you manage to log in).

How to tell they were there: apps on the phone, SMS, emails, logins in the browser.

What you can do:

• Access the apps (if the phone is unlocked)

• Check active cards, balances, auto-payments

• Save data for the notary

• Block transactions, disable cards (if accessible)

Subscriptions, deliveries, taxis

What to look for: Yandex Go, Citymobil, Delivery Club, Samokat, SberMarket, Kinopoisk, Netflix, IVI, YouTube Premium, Apple Music, Google One, iCloud

Where to look:

• On the phone: App Store → Subscriptions / Google Play → Payments and Subscriptions

• In the email: messages from services, notifications about payments

• In wallets: recurring payments

What to do:

• Unlink cards

• Unsubscribe from unnecessary services

• Download files from clouds (photos, documents, scans)

Be careful: Clouds often store documents. Don't delete them until you have checked.

Social networks and messengers

What to look for: Telegram, VK, Instagram, Discord, TikTok, Twitch, YouTube

What you can do:

• Change passwords (if accessible)

• Delete accounts (VK, Telegram)

• Switch to private mode (close account viewing)

Online stores and purchases

What to look for:

• Ozon, Wildberries, Yandex Market, Aliexpress

• Avito, Yula, marketplaces with linked cards

How to tell:

• Apps on the phone

• Mail notifications about orders, parcel tracking

• Notifications from delivery services (CDEK, Boxberry, Russian Post)

What you can do:

• Check if there are any active orders — the package may still be on its way

• Check saved cards — and unlink them

• Cancel subscriptions (e.g., Ozon Premium, Yandex Plus)

• Delete accounts, if sure nothing will be needed

Financial part:
If there are returns, the funds may be refunded to the linked card. It’s better to block these cards in advance or notify the bank to avoid confusion.

Accounts contain personal information: purchase history, delivery addresses, passport details (if there were international parcels).

Gaming/Streaming Accounts

Steam, Battle.net, PS, Xbox, Epic Games, Twitch, Discord Nitro

What to do:

• Check balances, in-game currencies

• Turn off subscriptions (e.g., Game Pass)

• Remove payment details

• Check for valuable items, accounts with rare skins, DLCs, subscriptions — they can be sold

What can be sold (if there is a financial need):

• Accounts with rare skins (CS:GO, Dota 2, Fortnite)

• Steam inventory — skins, cards, gifts

• Levelled-up PlayStation/Xbox accounts

• Twitch accounts with active monetization or partnership

How to do it cautiously:

• Only if you are sure you have access rights

• Better through acquaintances in the gaming community than through open boards (high risk of fraud)

• First evaluate, then decide whether to sell or keep

Ethics: Sometimes these accounts are an important part of life. If they do not carry financial value — they can be kept as a memory.

Where Attention is Needed

Public services, clinics, transportation

What’s included: Public services, EMIAS, Troika, tickets, Russian Railways

Access is possible only through official requests.

What to do:

• Prepare documents: death certificate, proof of your relationship

• Contact each service’s support

• If necessary — through a notary

Banks, if there is no access

If there is no phone, SIM card, or access to the app — you can:

• Contact the bank in person

• Submit a card blocking request

• Through a notary — arrange inheritance

Important: Do not transfer money from the card on your own (especially large sums). This could violate the law, even if “everything is fine”.

Apple ID and Google account

Apple ID without a password and access — almost impossible to restore. Even a death certificate does not guarantee access.

Google — more flexible: You can request deletion or access by filling out a support form and attaching documents.

How to search if nothing is known

• Browser history

• Applications on the phone

• Subscription list in App Store/Google Play

• Email (especially messages like "Thank you for registering", "Payment processed")

• Notifications, SMS

About security

• Do not share usernames and passwords in chats

• Change passwords where possible

• Do not turn off the SIM card until all actions are completed

• Unsubscribe from services to avoid phishing and hacking

Not a conclusion

Digital life has long become a part of real life. The favorite skin in CS, photos in the cloud, songs in VK — it’s all about the person. And being around this is also a form of love.
Sanya, eternal memory.