Recently we received a letter addressed to someone else but using mom's address. This letter stated the person listed at my moms qualified for low income phone rates. We did not apply for this and we don’t know the person listed. My mom has been on same house for over 50 years so it not previous tenants. Called her care agency and they say not one of their employees.
In addition we received a cell phone bill with that persons name but my mom address.
If this were junk mail I would not be concerned but since actual bills and more than one this is very concerning. I plan to file a fraud report with the post office and sheriff. I am also going to see if the lawyer we hired can run credit reports.
This is so upsetting. I don’t need any problems to resolve and I’m paranoid someone is trying to steal or squat in the her home after we move her and this is happening soon.
Has this happened to you?
I thought I already posted this but could not find. Sorry if this is duplicate,
The cell phone bill could be troubling, and could be that someone else is in fact using your mother's address. Good idea to file fraud reports.
As to running a credit check, you can contact Equifax, Transunion, or Experian, and not only request a credit report, but you can ask that fraud alerts be added to your mother's files. That's what I would do.
Also send each credit agency a registered letter saying your mother has not opened any accounts, nor is anyone authorized to use her address for accounts other than her. Locking her credit will already stop any new accounts, but you should mention that phone bill specifically, too, as not being hers.
Finally, make a police report so they know someone is committing fraud with your mom's address. It's important to have that on record.
I can tell you an interesting thing that happened to my mom and dad. It’s pretty funny! Many years ago, I was visiting my mom and dad in their home. Someone at my dad’s work was having his mail sent to to my parents home.
This man said he was planning a ‘big surprise’ trip for his wife and in order to make sure that she didn’t find out about it, he needed the mail sent elsewhere. So, my dad told him it was okay to use their address.
So, different travel literature and letters addressed to this man, started arriving at my parents house. My mom placed them in a neat stack on the living room end table for him to pick up. The letters didn’t have a return address and they were in regular envelopes, not business stationery.
My mom thought it was weird and she had a funny feeling about it.
She got really curious, but did not want to open someone else’s mail.
Well, my oldest brother was visiting them one afternoon. Mom couldn’t shake the feeling that she had about those letters. So, my crazy brother opened one the letters. They were from a woman that my dad’s coworker was having an affair with. He took the letter into the kitchen to show my mom.
My dad was ‘true blue’ with my mom, and she was faithful to him. Daddy was the guy who went straight home after work. He never stopped off for a drink. Mom was always home with dinner cooked, and so on.
Anyway, it rubbed mom the wrong way that this man lied to my father, saying he was planning a trip for his wife for their anniversary, when in reality, he was planning a romantic get away with his lady friend. Well, my brother tells mom not to worry about a thing! LOL
When dad’s coworker arrived at my parents house to pick up the mail, my brother stepped out on the porch. He told the man never to use my parents address again. Mom said that there was shouting back and forth, but she heard my brother say, “Okay, but if you are angry about me ‘accidentally’ opening your mail, I suppose that I will have to tell your wife about your ‘surprise trip’ for your anniversary!”
The man left the porch and mom and dad never got any more mail addressed to this man ever again. I wonder if the man found another address to use. Hahaha 🤣 Or, if he decided to end the affair after my brother’s talk with him about ruining his surprise.
I also plan on going to Social Security office next week with copies of the POA and see about becoming representative payee.
I feel better with these safeguards in place.
all this caregiving thing has been like trying to roll a ball of jello uphill. It’s taken months and months to resolve problems created by my parents poor choices and by moms resistance to making any choices and changes. Moving her to a facility next week since we finally have most of the issues resolved. She says that we just want to get rid of her and does not understand she is out of money and we can’t take her to our homes.
Just praying that this move is a little relief for all. Us and her included.
I contacted the head of the IT dept at the hospital to tell her that the only way my name and their address in FL could be connected was that I had listed them as emergency contacts prior to my surgery. Therefore, either she had an employee selling names and addresses or the system had been hacked! Dead silence on the phone. I had to ask if she was still there. Horrified was her response. She said she needed time to run a security check and would get back to me. Supposedly, all was clear. Personally, I have my doubts.
I contacted all of my journals, etc to ask where they got the change of address. No one knew! It took me over a year to straighten it out.
Ask for the Post Master of the regional area, credit reports and put fraud alerts on all credit cards. Monitor everything. Ignore the "it's a felony to open someone else's mail" advise!
Twice in my life I've had mail delivered where the envelope was slit then taped. The first time was in nursing school in Boston. As we were all poor, parents often sent us a few dollars (hey, it was in the 60's!). I walked up to the post office and spoke to the Post Office Manager with the envelope. He contacted me a few weeks later. It turned out that one of his employees had a ring with a sharp pin on the underside, had his shirt unbuttoned. When he saw mail to our dorm, he figured it was money. He'd slit the envelope, take the money, reseal. They got him on tape and charged him!!!
Take this very seriously.
The only way to protect yourself is to closely monitor the credit reports.
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