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Is financial-elder abuse real?

On Behalf of | Mar 9, 2022 | Elder Law |

The elder laws of Indiana are in place to make sure that seniors aren’t taken advantage of. The elderly are often targets of financial abuse. If you suspect that your elderly family member is being taken advantage of, then be ready to find unwarranted changes in their trusts, wills, deeds or mortgages.

Fraud

It’s easier to manipulate the elderly when their mental and physical health are failing. Elder laws consider the condition of someone in order to assess the abuse they’ve endured. As it relates to fraud, corrupt actors can forge signatures or open new accounts without permission. Even so, an aging person might be coerced into signing things they don’t truly understand. The potential for this type of fraud is higher when the elderly have people managing their financial affairs.

Undue influence

Undue influence is a type of coercion that leads the elderly to act on false pretenses. Be it financial or physical threats, fear can lead them to act against their will. When this influence is in secrecy, it becomes harder to detect. Any time that an elderly estate owner is under critical care, those closest to them have tremendous influence. How their influence is used dictates whether a crime has been committed or not.

The elder laws of Indiana

The prospect of having an entire estate plan changed due to criminal activity is real. With the care and rest that the elderly need, they become vulnerable. Without being able to manage themselves, their potential to lose track of their assets is great. For this reason, Indianan families must be diligent about the well-being of their elderly members.