Epilogue logo
Log In
Blog
Protecting Against Financial Elder Abuse
Financial Matters

Protecting yourself and your loved ones against financial elder abuse and senior scams

Financial elder abuse and senior scams are real and can take many forms. On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, learn how a power of attorney can help protect you and your loved ones.

June 15th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. It’s a day to draw attention to the unique challenges our aging population faces in Canada and world-wide. Challenges that include one of the darker sides of aging: Fraud and other forms of financial elder abuse.

An equal opportunity crime, fraud targets individuals in all demographics. Governments and businesses, large and small, can also fall victim of fraudulent actions with a devastating impact—from financial losses to reputational damage.

According to the Government of Canada—and although anyone can be a victim of fraud—seniors are more vulnerable and targeted more than other age groups. Some of the reasons for this include that seniors tend to be more trusting, are more frequently home to answer the phone or open the door, and may not have friends or family living close by to consult with. In addition, the higher rates of diminished mental capacity among seniors can also add to their vulnerability.

There are some major types of scams that seniors should look out for, including:

  1. Grandparent scam: Con artists will call pretending to be a grandchild or another close relative or loved one, claiming they need money to get out of some kind of trouble

  2. Authority figure scam: Scammers who pose as an authority figure such as a police officer, lawyer or tax auditor from the CRA

  3. Telemarketing scam: Phone and email scams involving phony charities and sometimes pyramid schemes

  4. Website and email scams: Con artists create spoof website pages or emails that mimic real sites and brands

Seniors should be encouraged, whenever possible, to answer phone calls and emails only if they recognize the caller or sender. The old adage, “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is” has never been more relevant.

Fraud perpetrated by strangers is just one type of elder abuse seniors are dealing with, financial elder abuse takes many forms and is a growing problem in Canada. Often the abuse is committed by family members or close friends, and can range from the seemingly innocent, like an adult child charging their groceries to their parent’s credit card, to the more deliberate, such as a new boyfriend trying to get included in a Will. In fact, misuse of a power of attorney for property is one of the most common means of committing elder financial abuse.

Many seniors may choose to appoint their children as the attorney for property by default, but in many cases, one’s offspring may not be ideally positioned to oversee their parent’s finances. For example, if the child is not adept at managing their own finances, should they be in charge of their parent’s finances?

Fortunately, proper planning can help protect you. This includes having a Will and power of attorney for property, and appointing someone you trust that is also knowledgeable, or a trust company, as your attorney for property. Appointing the “right” attorney for property, can play a key role in helping to prevent financial abuse.

This short video and this article will help you get familiar with some of the most common financial scams targeting seniors, and the importance of having the proper aforementioned legal documents in place. There are many other great resources (including provincial government websites and bank websites) available to help seniors and their families learn about—and protect themselves from—fraud and financial abuse.

I encourage you to explore these resources and share with family and friends to learn more about protecting seniors from financial abuse.

RBC Royal Trust and RBC Wealth Management are business segments of the Royal Bank of Canada. Please click this link http://www.rbc.com/legal/ for further information on the entities that are member companies of RBC Wealth Management. The Companies and the Royal Bank of Canada do not endorse or recommend any information, content or services offered on any third party website. The content in this publication is provided for general information only and is not intended to provide any advice or endorse/recommend the content contained in the publication. ®/TM Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Trust are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under license. © Royal Bank of Canada 2022. All rights reserved.

Related Posts

Make your Will today

Take care of your loved ones and give them peace of mind.
Epilogue logo
TwitterFacebookInstagramLinkedIn
Copyright © 2024 EpilogueAll rights reserved

Sign up and stay up-to-date on Epilogue news, exclusive offers, and more.

Epilogue is not a law firm and does not provide any legal advice.