Yes, stop paying the credit cards and let the credit card companies know why. Your mother is what is sometimes referred to as "judgment proof," meaning that even if the credit card companies successfully sued your mother, they couldn’t collect on their claim. You can’t get water from a stone. The credit card companies should write off the debt. They will likely send your mother 1099s since the debt forgiveness is considered taxable income to your mother. But my guess is that your mother’s income is so low that she will have little or no taxes to pay.