They bullied her into spending money she didn't want. My mother has been a victim of elder financial abuse. She made some purchases in the mall from a dishonest company and they continue to rip her off each time she goes in. They have ripped her off for almost $54,000 for beauty products and services. Services she isn't receiving and never wanted but was bullied into purchasing them. They even charged her legal fees because she fell in their store and went to the hospital and her insurance company is after theirs. I'm trying to dispute the charges with her credit cards....they have recently charged two of her cards for $13000 and $5000 for a total of $37,000. But since she has done business with them in the past, the credit card companies don't see it as fraud or abuse. What is the best way to approach this and say to the credit card company?
1. How do you know that "they" bullied your mother and what evidence do you specifically have? You'll need to address this issue if you take action to refute the charges.
2. Same question about the "dishonest company" and the legal fees.
3. What's the source of this information?
4. The first thing I would do is cancel the cards to stop the charges. You should also have been challenging the charges under the specific terms of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Have you sent certified or registered written challenges with demands for explanation and documentation?
5. Who receives the bills; have any of them been paid before challenge?
6. Does your mother have some element of dementia that might be prompting her purchase of these various products and services?
7. Have you placed fraud alerts with any of the 3 credit reporting agencies?
8. Are you an authorized signer on your mother's cards?
It's critical that you follow the legal guidelines outlined in the Fair Credit Reporting Act or the period of challenge may inadvertently have lapsed.
It's also critical to stop the accumulation of any unauthorized charges as well as to create notice of the unauthorized charges by notifying the credit reporting companies.
2. My mother fell in their store on one visit and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Her insurer subsequently contacted the store and their insurance to settle the matter when they began harassing her and telling her she needed to pay them legal fees to defend herself in this matter....which she of course did not need to do.
4. I have reported the recent charges as fraudulent, however the credit cards see it as a billing dispute. We have changed the card numbers and will close them when the dispute is settled. I am working on supplying written information to the credit cards under the fair credit reporting act.
5. My mother receives the bills. This is the first incident of anything of this nature with her. She is very diligent with her money, and quite frankly "cheap" and this is extremely out of character for her. She felt very threatened and they told her she "had to do this" Yes, she has paid many of the charges after trying to dispute the charges herself unsuccessfully. The most recent $37k has not been paid to the credit cards. I am now her financial manager with regard to her credit cards and we will be getting power of attorney over all financial matters.
6. My mother has parkinsons, but hasn't had any problems with dementia as of yet...
7. I'll do that.
8. I'm not an authorized signer, but a financial manager now.