Location: Iowa
Issue: Financial Fraud
Problem: Unauthorized account use
Following an incident in which I had a transaction that I didn’t make show up on my PayPal account, my conservator (who had direct access) apologized and said that they believed it to be a system error for something that was done on their own account. Obviously, I don’t buy this excuse as it would be illegal and irresponsible for a financial system to be affected by someone else doing something on what they believe (or intended) to be from their own account.
Now here’s where things got hairy: I followed all the usual procedures for cutting off unintentional account use (revoked passkeys, changing my password etc.) and said in no uncertain terms that I intend to have this changed to indirect access (read: QuickBooks file) in order to prevent this kind of mix-up from happening again. However, it was not enough to satisfy her – she is demanding that I change things back to where she can access the information directly, which is both irresponsible and illegal in hindsight that I was even made to do so originally, and by which reason I am simply being proactive in order to prevent a repeat incident. She is also threatening to withhold my money if I don’t change it back or give her the new password.
I am at a loss, and am trying to be fiscally responsible while also ensuring that she still has access to the information so that I can fulfill the obligations that I have with her from the conservatorship (in addition to the fact that I also receive social security benefits for which this information is also necessary). At the same time, I am trying to follow the laws of financial responsibility (as even though this is an honest mistake, it’s still borderline fraud), and I refuse to cave in because of this. I tried my best to explain that she will still have access to the information once I switch things over in terms of access, but she will neither accept the safe alternative to what we have been doing nor drop a patently illegal demand.
Absent caving to her demands and giving her the new password (and thereby opening myself back up to fraud), is there anything I can do to force the point of my intentions in this situation?
Comments
This really depends on the terms of your conservatorship. If they seem to be stealing money from you then you need to report that to your legal representative.
If, as you say giving the conservator direct access is illegal, then that is your answer. Tell the conservator that.
Also, it sounds like the consevator intended to make the paypal payment on their own account and forgot they were logged into yours, not a system error.