My dad met this lady in March of 2020 and by December he was dead. This lady is trying to claim his money in his bank accounts is hers as I am the only child to him and my mother has passed too. She has no grounds to his money no marriage or common law. She tries to state she lived at my dads residence but my own family was in an out from March 2020 through December 7, 2020 there at least one week out of each month and this woman never showed her self. Through investigating we have learned she is involved with either a prostitution ring or sex trafficking and basically took advantage of my father and his money. She would ask him to send money to people in California anywhere from $50, $500, $1000 even one time $10000.. I am trying to piece this together the police won't even help, FBI notified and I am lost on how to stop this. I should ad she says she was helping my dad clean and rub his legs. Which neither were happening. there is so much more to all of this.
If you have documentation reflecting what your father gave her, you might want to consider an anonymous report to the IRS. I doubt she or her affiliates are going to report funds manipulated or stolen.
1. I'm assuming you hired a PI to handle the investigation? Did this person also do a criminal check to determine if she, under her current name or aliases, is on the radar of other police or sheriff departments, or of the FBI, locally, statewide, or nationwide?
2. I think that her attempts to have funds sent to California suggests an inter-state or cross country operation, which would bring in Federal jurisdiction. What did your PI say about this?
3. WHY won't the police help? I've read this periodically on various posts here but I don't understand it b/c this is a criminal act.
4. If you can't get PD help though, research to see if you can find an Elder Law unit in the state government of your father's resident state. They might have better luck pursuing fraud against an elder.
5. Do you have a list of how much she actually got, or manipulated and had him send to others? Do you have supporting documentation that this happened, through his bank accounts, or any other method by which he may have given her funds?
6. Do you have addresses or contact numbers for the destinations in CA? This should have been provided to the PD, and if not, make sure it's in the packet of information you're collecting. If this is a cross state outfit, again, the Feds would have jurisdiction, and locating other participants in other states could help them.
7. Information on your legal status in terms of trust or estate management needs to be provided as well. Assuming you're the Personal Rep (f/k/a Executrix) of your father's estate, or Successor Trustee of any trust, you have authority to close accounts and open new ones. Has this been done? And in fact, have you closed out any of his accounts?
8. Have you notified any of the 3 credit bureaus, and put credit freezes on, just in case she may have obtained information on other assets?
9. What's the status of where he lived? If he was in a home, has it been sold, or is it on the market? If it's empty, I'm assuming you have purchased vacant home insurance. You might consider contacting an alarm monitoring company to explain options for additional security.
She apparently knows where he lives; who knows what she, or her criminal associates, might do?
10. Do you have an address for her? If so, contact your local county and find out if there's an office to help people get PPOs (Personal Protection Order) or even a TRO (Temporary Restraining Order). It would help if you have as much documentation as possible, and/or even an attorney.
This would at least protect you, and your father's home as well, as contact restrictions in my experience are not only by phone, computer, writing, but also create distance restrictions for residences.
11. As to "legally stopping" someone, you can't stop anyone from "claiming" (as in verbally claiming), but you can stop someone through legal action, especially as described in my paragraph 10.
12. What particularly concerns me though is that she may be part of a criminal ring which extends outside your immediate jurisdiction. You might contact the State Police on this issue, and ask for their guidance. At one time, our SP had a task force with specific focus on fraud.
And given the potential for criminal activity, I'd beef up security at my own house, as well as those of your family.
Good luck, and please keep us informed. These kinds of scumbags can come after anyone.
I too suggest you talk with a lawyer. Maybe a cease and desist letter will stop her. She can try and sue, doesn't mean she will win. They think if they threaten enough that you will just give in.
This woman just sounds like a scam artist, and a lawyer will know how to properly address this. She seems more of an annoyance than anything legitimate - or to be concerned about.