Financial Abuse is the theft or misuse of money, property or personal belongings, taken without consent or under pressure in connection with wills, property or inheritance. Financial abuse can include the following;
Theft of money or possessions
Fraud or scamming
Preventing a person from accessing their own money, benefits or assets
Employees taking a loan from a person using the service
Undue pressure, threat or influence put on the person in connection with loans, wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions
Arranging less care than is needed to save money to maximise inheritance
Denying assistance to manage/monitor financial affairs or access to benefits
Misuse of personal allowance in a care home
Misuse of benefits or direct payments in a family home
Someone moving into a person’s home and living rent free without agreement or under duress
False representation, using another person's bank account, cards or documents
Exploitation of a person’s money or assets, e.g. unauthorised use of a car
Misuse of a power of attorney, deputy, appointeeship or other legal authority
Rogue trading e.g. unnecessary or overpriced property repairs and failure to carry out agreed repairs or poor workmanship
Spot the signs?
Possible signs of financial abuse include the following;
Missing personal possessions
Unexplained lack of money
Unexplained withdrawal of funds from accounts
The person allocated to manage financial affairs is evasive or uncooperative
The family or others show unusual interest in the assets of the person
Signs of financial hardship in cases where the person’s financial affairs are being managed by a court appointed deputy or power of attorney
Recent changes in deeds or title to property
Rent arrears and eviction notices
A lack of clear financial accounts held by a care home or service
Failure to provide receipts for shopping or other financial transactions carried out on behalf of the person
Disparity between the person’s living conditions and their financial resources, e.g. insufficient food in the house
Unnecessary property repairs
Cumbria Case
In October 2018 Dr Zholia Alemi a Consultant Psychiatrist employed by Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Memory Matter Dementia Service denied three fraud allegations and two accounts of theft. Dr Alemi was found guilty of faking the will of a wealthy elderly widow months after being asked to assess her capacity. Despite denying any criminal conduct, Alemi was convicted unanimously of four fraud and theft charges following a week-long trial at Carlisle Crown Court and jailed for 5 years. Passing sentence, Judge Adkin ruled “This was despicable, cruel criminality motivated by pure greed and you must be severely punished for it.”
Dr Alemi gained the trust of the pensioner before she fraudulently applied for powers of attorney to control the widows medical and financial affairs, stole bank cards and also duped two other women into providing signatures they thought would be used for another purpose.
“Alemi saw someone who was vulnerable and sought to take advantage of her to make a financial gain. Her actions are all the more abhorrent as she met the victim in her capacity as a medical professional and should have been helping her. Instead she sought to befriend the elderly woman and quickly made plans to commit theft and fraud”
“I’d like to thank the carers and other witnesses who came forward to raise concerns about their suspicions and I hope today’s sentencing shows how seriously such offences are taken by the courts.”
Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust have issued a statements and advice for patients and family who have had contact with Zholia Alemi.
