Financial Adviser or Financial Elder Abuse Swindler? Watch out!

Financial elder abuse is a disgracefully common crime and its perpetrators are not limited to sleazy lawyers, manipulative low-level financial advisers or opportunistic home care aids. A recent article on Lawyers and Settlements discussed an Alameda County Superior Court judge who had to resign after being caught swindling a 97-year-old widow out of all of her savings. He even took her home and sold her art collection. The elderly widow was forced to live in a cheap hotel room for eight years. You can't be too careful when it comes to protecting elderly family members.

Use a licensed private investigator to uncover financial elder abuse

Asset investigation can provide insight into who the person seeking to advise or control an elderly person's financial decisions really is. People who commit these sorts of financial elder abuse crimes are often skilled manipulators and may not have a criminal record, though ? of course ? a criminal background check should also be done. Like the Superior Court judge, they may be public figures that, on the surface, seem to have an irreproachable reputation. However, a look at their assorted assets and holdings can reveal the kind of truths that other records cannot.

While there are many types of information that the average person with good computer skills can pick up, asset information is different. Accurate asset searches require specialized knowledge and access to databases that are outside of the range of the general public or are cost prohibitive for the average person. They often require fees that make financial sense for an organization or business making daily use of such information, but not for a person doing the occasional information search. Furthermore, hidden assets often require a practiced eye to detect, as perpetrators of financial elder abuse often go to great lengths to hide their crimes.

Asset searches can help determine whether financial elder abuse has occurred

The old adage tells us what an ounce of prevention is worth, and when it comes to financial elder abuse, that is especially true. It's best to enlist a professional asset investigator before ceding power over finances to another person. However, if you've missed that mark and suspect financial trust has been misplaced, a skilled investigator can help.

Mike Garroutte, a licensed private investigator with 30 years of experience and owner of Linked Investigations, has the asset investigation expertise you need. To swindle the elderly, leaving them in poverty, is a particularly repugnant crime. Don't let it happen to someone you love. Call 877-464-5374 for a consultation today or Contact Us online.