Addendum to "Identity Theft " thread

[Unregistered]

Still hoping that tp could do something on her tax return. Just fgound out the following

Fact: The daughter-in-law opened up a new charge acct in her father-in-law's name using her home address. Her husband (the son) did not know about this. The credit card company called my client at his Florida home indicating that it had been about 6 months since any payments were made. He called his wife (tp's spouse) in MIchigan with this information. They figured out that the address was their son's and called him.

The kid's are in bankruptcy, Kids were told that they needed to pay back, parent's were told that kids did not have the money at that time.

Would any of this help?

[jainen]

Of course

>>Would any of this help?<<

Of course it does. It always helps to change your story when the first try runs out.

[Unregistered]

reply

Your response sounded a little sarcastic to me. I was hoping to get some help but perhaps I am expecting too much. Kind of defeats the purpose of the message board when answers like this are sent. I thought I had the facts correct originally but was set straight when I talked to the tp spouse this AM.

[DaveO]

Legal Action Needed

Unless they are willing to call the police and protest the charges they don't have a leg to stand on. The fact that she paid some of the debt off only makes it worse. Stories such as this only underscore the need to everyone to watch out for their own credit and pull a free annual credit report. Inactive accounts can be closed and abuse quickly dealt with. Perhaps part of the interview process with a client, especially an elder one, should be to inquire if they have a recent credit report, and if not help them get one.

[Gretel]

Your response sounded a little sarcastic to me. I was hoping to get some help but perhaps I am expecting too much. Kind of defeats the purpose of the message board when answers like this are sent. I thought I had the facts correct originally but was set straight when I talked to the tp spouse this AM.

Please don't take this personal and don't call Jainen "The Message Board". He is part of this boad just like you and me. Sometimes he is very impatient and frustrated. Just like you and me.

[Jiggers]

Helped kid

The mother should not have paid off the credit card to help the worthless kid.

I would have reported the kid to the local law authorities.

But you may have a problem as the credit card was never reported stolen and the mother is liable for the debt.

I can see why she probably paid off the credit card. I would have seen an attorney about her legal liability for this debt before jumping off and withdrawing her retirement fund.

The kid is now bankrupt, nothing can be collected.

There is nothing that can be written off of the mother's tax return.

Again, tough love, just deduct this from their inheritance.

At least that is the way that I am understanding your information.

[jainen]

Thank you, Gabriele

Thank you, Gabriele. I don't get defended on this board very often. (About as much as I deserve, I suppose.)

I was frustrated about this new post, because I had put some effort into holding an alternate position based on the client's decisions to neglect her finances and then shelter her son-in-law. Now it turns out that the client isn't the victim, the son-in-law is completely innocent, and the card wasn't stolen in the first place. What's left of the original post?

I don't know what the anonymous poster thinks the purpose of this board is, or how a comment about the way facts are presented defeats it. I gave solid answers to the problem as part of a balanced discussion. By the way, I still stand by my answer. Although now there is a better argument for casualty loss (on a joint return), my basic understanding is that the client voluntarily helped her daughter during financial troubles, with no expectation or right of repayment.