I called the company where my mom has a credit card (mom is 95 years old, just enrolled in Medicaid, in a nursing home, now all her income goes to the nursing home and she has hospice care on top of that) - so I called to tell the credit card company to freeze her card and not to expect any more payments. The customer support person said I would have to send them a copy of my Power of Attorney documentation before they could even talk with me about her account. Fair enough. But then in addition to that, he said he would need my address, Social Security number and date of birth. I said I was not interested in becoming a co-signer to the account, I was just wanting to tell them of the situation and that they should freeze the card. He said that this info would not make me a co-signer or liable for her debt but it would just make me registered with them that I have power of attorney and that I could make changes to her account like change address or change her phone number. But I am really, really suspicious of giving them any info about me that could be misused. I figure after a few missed payments go by they will freeze her card anyway. Once they start sending letters I will send one back just stating her situation, but the letter certainly will not have my Social Security number or date of birth on it. Am I right in thinking it is a trap that they are asking my personal information and I am wise not to give them it?
You're a smart cookie! There's fraud 'round every corner.
She owned the card(s), it's her debt. You have no legal responsibility to pay her debts.
My mom is 95 stage 6 Alzheimer's. A few years back, I called her bank and told them to cancel her credit card as she has dementia and wouldn't be using it anyway. She had a couple of very nosey neighbors at the senior apartments and I was scared they'd get ahold of it and have a free-for-all. The bank wouldn't cancel it. I explained, they still said no. I told them I was her POA, nope.
It took me sending a letter and saying that, whatever happened to her credit spending, the bank would be responsible for, since she is mentally incapacitated, is when they finally agreed to close her account! They knew they wouldn't get payments from me. Smart move on your part.
And my husband wonders why I don't trust anybody.
Just send the bills back, with "person no longer at this address". They may do a freeze on their own and after a couple more attempts, send her a collections letter. When you get that letter, take it to the lawyer and let him handle it from there.
These companies are SNEAKY when it comes to this stuff. Immediately after my mother passed away (2 weeks later), I got a phone call and letters in the mail from a company claiming to "help bereaved consumers settle their loved one's estate". Right - "settle" - what they wanted was to put me on the hook for Mom's credit card debt and make me pay for it. I explained I was NOT responsible for that debt, and that there was nothing in the estate to "get" out of it. They hounded me for months before they finally stopped.
Be careful.