Is this credit card fraud?

Yes. You have to ask?

I know this is illegal and she should have been prosecuted. that was not my original point. it was to see if other people have had similar situations and what happened to them.

Does the end justify the means ?

Fraud is fraud.

It is identity theft and she defrauded the credit card company. She must have done this years ago because creditors check the Social Security death index for just this purpose and Social Security updates their records very quickly upon ones death, sometimes one day following.

But based on your original question and subsequent response, it sounds more like you came up with the idea and wish to try it yourself.

Yes, it is credit card fraud. Turn her in for the reward before anyone else gets wise. ~

No, it is not credit card fraud.
There has been misrepresentation, but the banks have been repaid.
The only loser here is the girl who has been paying on a credit card which hasn’t helped her credit score.

Nobody is hurt—don’t prosecute!