My mom passed a few years ago. My sister contacted me about 6 months ago saying she had residual funds and the amount would be split up between us kids. My brother contacted me and said the same thing and so did my aunt. They needed my SS# and address and said I should get a check in 3-6 weeks.
I let it go for awhile, but around Christmas I mentioned it, and my sister said they were having problems with Direct Express releasing the funds. I asked today and she basically said Direct Express wasn't releasing the funds and "none of us get anything" and "the money will be reincorporated back into Direct Express."
Does this sound right? Is there a way to check and see why they wouldn't release it? Is there a way to check and see if it was already dispersed to someone?
(source: https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/directexpress)
Just putting this out there for those who aren't familiar with this.
Scam, fraud, phishing.
This is how my nephew gets his SS payments. He uses it like a credit card. There can't be too much money on it unless Mom never used her SS to live. I don't see how Direct Express would be able to keep it. If anything, if not claimed within a certain time, it goes back to Social Security. To have this debit card the money is in a bank acct. As such, when Mom died the money becomes part of her estate. The Executor of her estate would need to prove he has the right to handle that acct by sending a "short certificate" he gets from Probate and maybe a death certificate. I would think that once he proves that the Bank will cut a check to Moms estate.
Just my opinion.
Unless you are the designated executor of the will, with a certified death certificate, and a copy of the filed Will, you are unable to secure any information about the funds. Have you checked with your brother and your aunt? Who is handling this - your sister? Can you get copies of the correspondence she received concerning the situation?
Check your credit reports and freeze your credit with all 3 bureaus.
Call your sister and ask her to tell you honestly if she thinks perhaps she responded to a fraudulent email and share with het about what steps to take.
She she report this to SSA.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2019/12/08/what-to-do-when-you-fall-for-a-social-security-scam-or-ransomware.html
Note: there are other circumstances that would have caused an underpayment on your mom’s account. Perhaps she filed an application that was not yet processed?-a former spouse died, she filed but then died. Perhaps a nursing home was required to return some funds? Perhaps an error in her payment amount or a recomputation due to some recent earnings? The name of the form that your sister filed was a SSA-1724.