Q: So. I have been getting gifts of money from a person who has disabilities.
I met a guy online and he's been sending me money for years. We met on an app and became close. He told me later on about being autistic. Now apparently his personal case worker is trying to get me to pay the money back in payments or they are taking legal action against me. Do they have a right to?
A:
Unfortunately you haven’t given enough information to know what kind of payments were made or what funds he used to send you the money.
Social Security does not provide case workers to people who receive benefits. Some people who receive benefits have a representative payee that helps manage the money and that is usually a family member or friend.
If you think the case worker is saying that you will be charged in a criminal action then I would suggest you speak with a criminal defense attorney to confirm whether or not you broke any laws in these transactions. You should have a private consultation so that attorney-client privilege will apply and you can get appropriate legal advice.
If they are just asking you to repay the money then you may need to get a better understanding as to why they think you are obligated to repay it. You can also consult with a civil law attorney if you have questions about whether or not you are required to pay it back.
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