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You are here: Home > Abuse > Types of Abuse > Financial Abuse

Financial Abuse

Financial or material abuse is the most common form of elder abuse in Canada. It can include:

  • stealing money, belongings, credit cards, or pension cheques
  • forcing an older adult to make or change a Power of Attorney, Enduring Power of Attorney or Will
  • forging a signature on personal cheques or legal documents
  • holding back money that the older adult needs
  • convincing an older adult to invest in a fraudulent investment scheme
  • pressuring an older adult to provide services without pay
  • forcing, convincing or tricking an older adult to sell a home or possessions, or to pay for unnecessary services
  • abusing Power of Attorney, Guardianship, or Trusteeship responsibilities

Signs of Financial Abuse

  • confusion about their own finances
  • signing a document without being told of its consequences
  • failing to make financial choices/decisions
  • family members moving in without agreement or without sharing costs
  • experiencing unusual bank or ATM activity done on their behalf
  • starting to show a difference between income and standard of living
  • disappearing belongings
  • sudden or unexplained difficulty in paying bills
  • refusing to spend money without the agreement of their caregiver

NOTE: Some of these indicators may be present and the older adult is not being abused. These are only possible signs of abuse.


For more information, see CPLEA’s Let’s talk: Elder abuse resource manual.

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The Centre for Public Legal Education respectfully acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 4, 6, 7, 8 and 10 territories, the traditional lands of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit.

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