How to Take Action When You Suspect Financial Elder Abuse.

When most people think of elder abuse, they envision neglected senior citizens, or physical and/or emotional abuse. However, financial elder abuse is a silent form of abuse that can happen right under the nose of unsuspecting people. Consider the case of Hang Vu, who is wanted for making off with nearly $400,000 of her father-in-law's money. The case is featured in an article in The San Gabriel Valley Tribune: Detectives Seek Rowland Heights Woman For Alleged Elder Abuse.

Hang Vu, also known as Victoria Vu, is a 55-year old woman who began "caring" for her father-in-law after her mother-in-law's death. Soon thereafter she sold a home belonging to her 85-year old father-in-law and drained all of his retirement accounts. Financial elder abuse is a very serious crime and can be difficult to suss out without the help of a professional.

The best way to prevent elder abuse is to stop it before it starts. If it's too late for that, it's critical that you get the evidence you need to stop financial elder abuse as soon as possible.

A Private Detective Can Help Uncover Elder Abuse

If you suspect someone you love is the victim of elder abuse, contacting an experienced Private Detective can be the first step in getting the evidence you need, and stopping the abuse from continuing. Depending on the situation, a Los Angles investigator may choose to use one or more investigative services to gather evidence:

Asset Search: If you suspect an elderly relative is missing assets, or seems to have a rapidly dwindling bank account, an asset search can help to show any discrepancies or recent financial transactions that may indicate they are the victim of financial elder abuse. You may want to consider enlisting multiple family members as signers on various accounts so that no one person has total control. We can help you construct a safety net to protect your loved one(s) in the future.

Surveillance Services: Often, elder abuse is done by experienced cons who are talented at gaining the trust and confidence of senior citizens. In many cases, they attend churches or volunteer for community service organizations in order to seem less suspicious. They work diligently to establish close bonds with senior citizens. Even if you have figured it out and fired them, you may not be aware that they are still "visiting" your loved ones. They often "borrow money", or are taken out to lunch, dinners, and/or shopping sprees that are paid for by your senior relative. Surveillance services can catch them in the act, and we can help you to file and serve temporary restraining orders in order to begin pursuing further legal action.

Complete background search: Even if a caregiver comes from a reputable caregiver agency that says they run complete background checks, it's a good idea to run a background check on your own. Many of these agency-based background checks are done quickly, using outdated data or incomplete records. A licensed private investigator can do an accurate and through background check, which may uncover less than desirable information.

Need to take action? Hire a Los Angeles Private Investigator

If your loved one lives in the Los Angeles or southern California area and you need the help of a professional investigator to check on their well being, contact Linked Investigations. Owner, Mike Garroutte, has worked as a licensed private investigator for nearly three decades. He has procured reliable evidence for hundreds of elder abuse cases.

Published on: 
April 1, 2013
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