Key takeaways

Financial abuse of an older adult, by someone they know, is a crime you can report. Contact Adult Protective Services (via the Eldercare Locator, 1-800-677-1116) and the bank, and call 911 if there is urgent danger.

  • The US Department of Justice separates financial abuse (by someone the older adult knows) from financial fraud (by strangers). Both can be reported.
  • The CFPB describes abuse as taking money without permission, not repaying money owed, overcharging for services, or not doing paid work, and says abusers can be neighbors, caregivers, professionals, or family and friends.
  • The CFPB’s four steps are Prevent, Recognize, Record, Report. You do not need every detail to file a report.
  • Report abuse to Adult Protective Services, and fraud to the National Elder Fraud Hotline on 1-833-372-8311. Call 911 if there is urgent risk of harm.

Got a name, website, or phone number from the sender? Check the scam directory.

How caregiver and elder financial exploitation works

The Justice Department’s Elder Justice Initiative sorts financial crimes against older adults into two groups. Financial abuse is committed by someone the older adult knows, such as through misused powers of attorney, unauthorized card use, extortion, forgery, or theft by a trusted professional. Financial fraud is committed by strangers, through romance, imposter, lottery or sweepstakes, tech support, grandparent, investment, and phishing scams.

The CFPB describes financial abuse in everyday terms: taking money without permission, not repaying money owed, overcharging for services, or not doing paid work. It says the person responsible can be a neighbor, a caregiver, a professional, or a family member or friend. In other words, the risk sits where trust and access to accounts, cards, documents, and the home overlap.

Scams from strangers matter here too, and caregivers are often the first to see them. The guides most relevant are grandparent and family emergency scams, romance scams, tech support scams, and Medicare scams. The Justice Department also warns that it will never threaten you or ask you to move money to “protect it”. A caller who says otherwise is not from the DOJ.

This guide covers recognition and reporting. It does not diagnose motive or capacity, and a worry is not proof. The point of the Record and Report steps is to hand facts to people with the authority to investigate: Adult Protective Services (APS), the police, the bank, and where appropriate a prosecutor.

What it looks like in practice

These are illustrative composites written for this guide to show the pattern. They are not quotes from a real victim or a real message.

The helpful caregiver who “manages” the card (illustrative)

A paid carer begins running errands and is given the debit card and PIN. Over several weeks, purchases appear that the older adult cannot explain, and some paid work does not seem to get done. The CFPB’s definition of abuse includes taking money without permission and not doing paid work. A family member who notices should write down dates and amounts, ask the bank to review the account, and contact APS if they believe exploitation is happening.

The power of attorney used for the wrong person (illustrative)

A relative with power of attorney pays their own bills from the older adult’s account and says it is “for the family”. The Justice Department lists misused powers of attorney as financial abuse. A power of attorney is meant to be used in the older adult’s interest, so a concerned family member should gather statements, speak to the bank, and consider legal advice. The CFPB’s resources point to free legal services for people over 60 through the Eldercare Locator.

The stranger scam the caregiver spots (illustrative)

A grandmother tells her daughter a “grandson” phoned asking for bail money, to be sent by gift card. This is a stranger fraud, not abuse by someone known, but the response overlaps: stop payments, call the bank, and report to the FTC and the National Elder Fraud Hotline. See gift card scams.

Warning signs to watch for and record

  1. Money taken without permission. The CFPB lists taking money without permission as a form of abuse. Compare bank and card statements with what the older adult knows about and approved.
  2. Borrowed money that is not repaid. The CFPB lists not repaying money owed as financial abuse. Ask for loans or “gifts” to be written down and discussed with a trusted third party.
  3. Overcharging for care or services. The CFPB lists overcharging for services. Ask for itemised invoices and compare them with the agreed rate.
  4. Paid work that was never done. The CFPB lists not doing paid work as abuse. Check that the repairs, care hours, or errands paid for actually happened.
  5. Misuse of a power of attorney, card, or checks. The Justice Department lists misused powers of attorney, unauthorized card use, and forgery as financial abuse by someone known to the older adult.
  6. Pressure, threats, or extortion. The Justice Department lists extortion as financial abuse. Pressure to sign documents or change a will or beneficiary deserves a second opinion from an independent adult.
  7. A new “friend” or caller who wants gift cards, wires, or crypto. These are the pattern of stranger fraud. See romance scams and grandparent scams.

Prevent, recognise, record: practical steps for family and friends

  1. Prevent. Help the older adult set up a trusted contact with their bank or credit union, as the CFPB suggests in its trusted contact guide, and plan ahead for diminished capacity and illness.
  2. Recognise. Review statements together with consent. Note unexplained withdrawals, new cards, changed beneficiaries, and unpaid bills.
  3. Record. Write down time, date, and place; the names of people involved or who witnessed it; a description of what happened; and any health or decision-making concerns. The CFPB lists these as the details to include. Keep copies of statements, receipts, and messages.
  4. Check who is acting. Ask for the written authority, such as a power of attorney, and read it. If you doubt it, a lawyer can review it. Free legal services for people over 60 are available through the Eldercare Locator.
  5. Talk to the bank. The CFPB says to work with your loved one to contact the bank, credit union, or card company as soon as possible, because the institution may be able to recover the money.
  6. Do not confront alone if you fear for safety. Call 911 if there is an urgent risk of harm.

If you already paid or gave details

Work through these in order. Speed matters most for the first two.

  1. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. For non-urgent concerns, use the local police or sheriff non-emergency number.
  2. Contact the bank, credit union, or card company with the older adult as soon as possible. Ask them to freeze or monitor the account and to review recent transactions. The CFPB says the institution may be able to recover the money.
  3. Report to Adult Protective Services. APS agencies receive and investigate reports of suspected elder or vulnerable adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Find the right office through the Eldercare Locator at eldercare.acl.gov or 1-800-677-1116.
  4. Report to the police or sheriff, and ask whether the District Attorney’s office can prosecute. The CFPB lists the District Attorney as someone you can ask to prosecute the person responsible.
  5. If it was a stranger scam, report to the National Elder Fraud Hotline (1-833-372-8311), the FTC, and for online crime the FBI’s IC3. If the mail was used, call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on 877-876-2455.
  6. Protect the accounts and identity. Change passwords, review credit reports, and see what to do after a data breach for credit freeze steps.
  7. Get legal help. The Eldercare Locator links to free legal services for people over 60; the Legal Services Corporation and the American Bar Association help find other options.
  8. Do not pay recovery services. See recovery scams.

Where to report

  • Adult Protective Services: via Eldercare Locator, 1-800-677-1116, eldercare.acl.gov. The DOJ and CFPB both point to APS for abuse reports.
  • Police or sheriff: 911 for urgent risk of harm, otherwise the local non-emergency line.
  • National Elder Fraud Hotline (DOJ): 1-833-372-8311, for fraud by strangers.
  • FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov. FBI: ic3.gov for online crime. Postal Inspection Service: 877-876-2455 for mail scams.
  • Social Security issues: SSA Fraud Hotline, 800-269-0271, for Social Security scams or stolen SSNs.
  • Other countries: in the UK, Report Fraud (0300 123 2040); in Australia, Scamwatch; in Canada, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, 1-888-495-8501.

More help from official sources

Scambaba is an independent educational project. Reporting and recovery options depend on where you live. How these guides are researched is on the editorial policy.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as elder financial exploitation?

The CFPB describes it as taking money without permission, not repaying money owed, overcharging for services, or not doing paid work. The Justice Department also lists misused powers of attorney, unauthorized card use, extortion, forgery, and theft by trusted professionals.

Who do I report elder financial abuse to?

The CFPB lists Adult Protective Services, the police or sheriff (911 if urgent), the older adult’s bank or financial institution, and the District Attorney’s office. Find APS through the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.

Do I need proof before I report?

No. The CFPB says you do not need every detail to file. It suggests including the time, date, and place, the names of those involved or who witnessed it, a description of the abuse, health or decision-making concerns, and whether there is urgent danger.

Can the bank get the money back?

It may. The CFPB says to contact the bank, credit union, or card company as soon as possible with your loved one, because the institution may be able to recover the money. Speed helps, but nothing is guaranteed.

What is a trusted contact?

The CFPB describes a trusted contact as a person the bank or credit union can alert about suspicious activity on an account (see its trusted contacts advisory). The CFPB publishes a trusted contact guide for consumers.

What is the difference between abuse and fraud?

The Justice Department says financial abuse is by someone the older adult knows, and fraud is by strangers, such as romance, imposter, lottery, tech support, grandparent, and investment scammers. Both can be reported, but abuse goes to APS and fraud to the National Elder Fraud Hotline.

The caller says they are from the DOJ and I must move my money. Is that real?

No. The Justice Department says it will never threaten you or ask you to move money to “protect it”. Hang up and report the call to the National Elder Fraud Hotline.