Adult protection: Financial abuse

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Older people often suffer financial abuse. Financial abuse is stealing someone's money or possessions or defrauding them of their property. It is a crime.

Sometimes the issue is straightforward, for example, where someone steals from an older person's purse.

Other cases are less clear cut. This is because the thief can often be the victim's son or daughter.

• Signatures on cheques or documents that don't match the account holder's signature
• A cheque or document having been signed when the person is unable to write for whatever reason
• Sudden changes in bank accounts
• Large, unexplained, cash withdrawals by a person accompanying the account holder
• New names being added to a person's bank account
• Sudden changes to a will, or a new will being written
• Relatives, who weren't involved before, suddenly turning up and laying claiming to an older person's affairs or possessions
• The sudden and unexplained transfer of assets to a family member or someone outside the family
• Unpaid bills, or overdue rent, when someone is supposed to be managing the person's money
• Someone being worried that too much money is being spent on looking after an older person
• Lack of personal facilities or small luxuries that a person should be able to afford such as a TV, cosmetics, aftershave and appropriate clothing
• The unexplained disappearance of money or valuable possessions such as art, silverware, or jewellery
• Deliberately stopping a person seeing their family and friends so that the person providing their care is in total control