Where to Report Financial Abuse of Elderly

by dld
November 16, 2022

To safeguard those dear to you from financial abuse, you should first take appropriate preventive measures. However, once you recognize that an elderly loved one already fell victim to it, you should report it as soon as possible!

If you’re wondering where to report financial abuse of elderly, please refer to the information below.

What is Financial Abuse?

In a nutshell, financial abuse is when someone takes or improperly uses another person’s money or assets for the benefit of a different person (or for their own benefit). It may include theft, but it could also consist of misappropriation, misuse, concealment, or fraudulent deprivation of money or property.

Some examples of financial abuse are:

Taking money without permission
Failure to repay a debt unjustifiably
Charging too much for a service
Negligence in fulfilling a duty or a job that was already paid for

Financial abuse against an elder is peculiarly nefarious, for the perpetrator takes advantage of a person prone to be in a weaker position or suffer a particular handicap.

Where Can I Report Financial Abuse of Elderly?

Thankfully, there are various routes for reporting elder financial abuse:

You could contact Adult Protective Services (APS), which offers social services for older and disabled adults in each state, especially those who require support in cases of neglect or exploitation. You can find your local APS by visiting the APS website.
For more urgent cases, you can always have recourse to 911 or call your local police to make your report. Elder financial abuse is a pursuable crime in various U.S. states. In California, the penalty for elder financial abuse includes a fine of up to $10,000 and four years in state prison (when charged as a misdemeanor, the penalties are milder.)
Alternatively, you could contact your local District Attorney’s office or similar and see whether they can prosecute the offender.

Who Else Can Help Me?

For additional help, you may ask your loved one’s social worker or a long-term care ombudsperson to assist you or the older person.

Moreover, if the abuse concerns a financial account, you can contact the financial service provider (e.g., bank, credit card company, or credit union) to see if they can help get the money back (some providers offer insurance to cover these types of situations.)

Get Legal Aid

You’d want to speak with a competent law firm to discuss your legal options when tackling elder financial abuse. Our attorneys at Stone & Sallus are capable of offering tailored advice to elders across Southern California, and you can rest assured that your case will be handled by some of the most proficient lawyers in the field!

To safeguard those dear to you from financial abuse, you should first take appropriate preventive measures. However, once you recognize that an elderly loved one already fell victim to it, you should report it as soon as possible! If you’re wondering where to report financial abuse of elderly, please refer to the information below. What is…