bobingeorgia
Member
What is the name of your state: Georgia
I am helping a friend who has been defrauded of insurance benefits. Her friend died in 2004 and named her as the beneficiary of about $40,000. They lived in MASS at the time. She moved to GA in 2006 and asked a neighbor for help on how to claim the policy. My friend has Aspergers which is a mild form of Autism. She gets confused a lot and is very trusting.
The neighbor took the info from her and nothing happened at the time (06). Fast forward to 2010 and my friend is filing late back taxes and the IRS tells her she owes tax on 9 grand of interest income from the settlement. We find out that in 2008 the neighbor forged her name on a notarized Power of Attorney and had a lawyer execute the claim. The insurance company mailed the lawyer the check for $49,000 and the neighbor forged her name on the check as signing it over to him and he deposited in his business account. At this time I do not know if the Lawyer was in on it or not. He is still in practice. We do not yet know here the neighbor is. I have his name and old address from 2006.
I contacted the insurance company and they sent us the claim form, forged POA and copy of the check with bank account numbers. The sig is close but its not hers. I was fearful she might of forgotten she signed something but its not hers. Also a lot of info on the claim form was incorrect especially the cause of death. We sent back a letter stating its not her signature and asking them to do a full investigation.
My question is what happens now.
What is the insurance companies obligation to her.
Will they conclude she did not get funds, cut her another check and peruse the neigbor and lawyer?
Is she out of luck of getting a dime.
Who else should we get involved.
I want to make sure the insurance company does the right thing but I don't know what that is. I want to go pay the lawyer a visit and ask questions but I don't want to impede an investigation
Thanks
I am helping a friend who has been defrauded of insurance benefits. Her friend died in 2004 and named her as the beneficiary of about $40,000. They lived in MASS at the time. She moved to GA in 2006 and asked a neighbor for help on how to claim the policy. My friend has Aspergers which is a mild form of Autism. She gets confused a lot and is very trusting.
The neighbor took the info from her and nothing happened at the time (06). Fast forward to 2010 and my friend is filing late back taxes and the IRS tells her she owes tax on 9 grand of interest income from the settlement. We find out that in 2008 the neighbor forged her name on a notarized Power of Attorney and had a lawyer execute the claim. The insurance company mailed the lawyer the check for $49,000 and the neighbor forged her name on the check as signing it over to him and he deposited in his business account. At this time I do not know if the Lawyer was in on it or not. He is still in practice. We do not yet know here the neighbor is. I have his name and old address from 2006.
I contacted the insurance company and they sent us the claim form, forged POA and copy of the check with bank account numbers. The sig is close but its not hers. I was fearful she might of forgotten she signed something but its not hers. Also a lot of info on the claim form was incorrect especially the cause of death. We sent back a letter stating its not her signature and asking them to do a full investigation.
My question is what happens now.
What is the insurance companies obligation to her.
Will they conclude she did not get funds, cut her another check and peruse the neigbor and lawyer?
Is she out of luck of getting a dime.
Who else should we get involved.
I want to make sure the insurance company does the right thing but I don't know what that is. I want to go pay the lawyer a visit and ask questions but I don't want to impede an investigation
Thanks