End Elder Financial Abuse…now!

What could be more despicable than stealing and tricking the elderly for money?  Elder financial abuse, an issue that was recently brought to the spotlight by Hollywood actor Mickey Rooney, is a crime of exploiting senior citizens for financial gain. Rooney sued his stepson as well as others for deceiving him into believing he was on the brink of poverty and forcing him to go on working as they swindle millions using his name.

Once the case was settled, everyone was all of a sudden more mindful of this urgent matter. So, how can you recognize this crime and stop it?

Elder Financial Abuse 101

This crime involves illegal and improper use of a senior citizen’s funds, resources and property. Spotting this crime is straightforward, however, they largely happen within the family. Unless other parties notice and become involved, these infractions go undetected.

The crimes linked to elder financial abuse include trickery, deception, forceful access to funds and properties of a senior citizen. Many people that are liable for this are caregivers, fraudsters and, sadly, family members.

Here are instances of the exploitations these fraudsters do:

-Forging the signature of an elderly to gain access to personal checks, credit cards and also other financial accounts.
-Stealing prized possessions, cash, and pension checks
-Theft of identity- Most victims of this are senile elderly. Fraudsters take advantage of the elderly’s confinement in a nursing facility and utilize his identity for personal or business transactions. Occasionally, even healthcare companies are liable for this crime. Some charge excessively for unnecessary healthcare services. While you will find those that offer you special “prizes”, which ultimately forces senior citizens to purchase. It is a good thing there are plenty of vigilant bank fraud lawyers taking crucial measures to battle against these complaints.

How to deal with elder financial abuse

Hiring a very good bank fraud lawyer to analyze how an elderly’s funds are being spent is a way of battling elder financial abuse.

Look for a firm that specializes on elder financial abuse cases. There are many who look into and litigate fraud actions involving insurance and banking claims. A bank fraud lawyer in this organization may also investigate wrongful death cases.

Here are some other ways you can prevent this abuse from happening:

-Keep your communication lines open with your elderly relatives. Check up on them every now and then.
-Observe, observe, observe! Be observant of any behavioral or physical change.
-Do good research on the background of your caregiver! It is unadvisable to pick one through an advertisement. Search for licensed and bonded agency. You may even seek the services of an investigator to analyze the credentials of your caregiver. This helps to ensure that your relative is in good hands and the caregiver is not a convicted felon of some sort.
-Keep an inventory of all jewelry, expensive gadgets, and properties. Make sure all of the valuables are stored in a safe place.

When you know a person who may be a victim of this kind of crime, it would be best to tell the authorities or refer a good bank fraud lawyer who could help them. If you know the family and don’t wish to be called as someone who meddles in family affairs, search the internet and locate anonymous hotlines you may call.

Abbie Kirby is a Senior CEO who knows a good bank fraud lawyer who’s knowledgeable in elder financial abuse.