Elder Exploitation

Continuing with the topic of a new law relating to elder abuse that criminalizes elderly financial exploitation, which is not limited to an incapacitated person, here are some of the most common ways in which people exploit the elderly:

• Using a financial attorney as a license to steal.
   
• Treating joint accounts as your own even though you are only on the account for estate planning purposes.
   
• Using another person’s ATM card and/or checks for one’s own benefit.
   
• Threatening victim to get money.
   
• Refusing to obtain needed medical care for the elderly person so that assets will continue to be available for abuser.
   
• With respect to caregiver, keeping the change from errands, falsifying time sheets, spending time on the phone instead of doing what they are paid to do, etc.