Thank you !!
Carrie

Carrie Kerskie, thanks for the information :)

One things that I did months ago was *freeze* my credit. Thus, if someone lifts my identity they wouldn't be able to go out and open up a new credit card, buy a car, or apply for a mortgage, etc. It only cost me $10 each for the three major credit bureaus and one can do it easily on-line. It was $30 well spent :)

I learned about that from Clark Howard, who use to have a financial TV show on a CNN/HLN station here in the States.

If you are already receiving benefits it is possible for a thief to change your mailing address, and your direct deposit banking information. A thief did just that and set up the My social security account as if they were my mother. Thieves use an online bank that does not require to be in person to open an account. It has taken me 2 months so far trying to get stolen money refunded back to my mother. If you are taking care of a parent it is necessary for you to become the "payee" on your parents account with Social security, they do not recognize POA. That is the only way that you can make changes to the account. I have a block put on my mother's account so that all changes must be done in person at the SS. Office. My mother is out $8500 so far. I am still waiting on the investigation by SS. I also filed a police report and notified the FTC. Thanks to an open internet I was able to look up who owns the house a t the address used when my mother's mailing address was changed. Also, I searched Facebook and found the person's FB page and their bank routing number told the SS clerk the name of the bank. Be careful and stay alert when managing your parents account. I became complacent because nothing ever changed in my mother's account so I stopped looking at it, now I am scrambling to get the money back.