What Is Financial Abuse of Adults at Risk? Signs, Examples and What to Do

Financial abuse of an adult at risk is when someone steals, defrauds, pressures or misuses the money, property, possessions or benefits of an adult with care and support needs. It is one of the most commonly reported types of abuse, featuring in nearly 1 in 5 statutory safeguarding enquiries concluded in England in 2024 to 2025. It is usually committed by someone the person knows and trusts, such as a relative, friend, neighbour or paid carer, not a stranger, and care workers, who see a person’s home and post week by week, are often the first to notice.

At a glance: Nexis CPD offers a £9 CPD-accredited online Safeguarding Adults (Advanced) Level 2 course — 100% online, with an instantly emailed, employer-verifiable certificate. Any three courses cost £18, and teams of 5 or more pay £6 a course place.

For the basics, including who counts as an adult at risk, the six principles and how local authority enquiries work, see our guide to safeguarding adults. This guide follows the law in England. General information, not legal advice — in an emergency call 999.

What counts as financial abuse of an adult at risk?

The Care Act 2014, section 42(3), says abuse includes financial abuse, which includes having money or other property stolen, being defrauded, being put under pressure in relation to money or other property, and having money or other property misused.

The Care and Support Statutory Guidance (paragraph 14.17), whose categories of abuse are summarised in our guide to what safeguarding is, lists financial or material abuse as including:

• theft
• fraud
• internet scamming
• coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements, including in connection with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions
• the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits

In practice it looks ordinary. The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) gives examples in its types and indicators of abuse: stopping someone getting at their own money or benefits, staff taking a loan from a person they support, misuse of a care home personal allowance, someone moving in rent-free without agreement, arranging less care than is needed to protect an inheritance, and rogue traders charging for repairs that were never needed.

It rarely travels alone. Paragraph 14.24 of the guidance notes that where other forms of abuse are present, financial abuse is likely to be happening too. If the abuser is a partner or family member, it can also be domestic abuse: the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 includes economic abuse, meaning behaviour that substantially affects a person’s ability to acquire, use or keep money or property.

Much of it is also crime. The guidance says most financial abuse is capable of amounting to theft or fraud. Under section 4 of the Fraud Act 2006, someone expected to safeguard another person’s financial interests who dishonestly abuses that position commits fraud, even if they simply fail to act.

How common is financial abuse of adults at risk?

Very common. The latest official figures, Safeguarding adults, England, 2024 to 2025, collected from all 153 local authorities, show financial or material abuse in 33,130 of the 178,135 section 42 enquiries that concluded in the year: 18.6%, the third most common type of risk.

An enquiry can involve more than one type of risk, so the shares add up to more than 100%; the 2025 to 2026 figures are due in November 2026. The person’s own home was a location of the risk in 71% of financial abuse enquiries (23,410), and paragraph 14.24 of the guidance says financial abuse is the main form of abuse the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) investigates.

Who commits financial abuse against adults at risk?

Usually someone the person knows. The statutory guidance (paragraph 14.34) says that while a lot of attention goes on scams by strangers, it is far more likely that the person responsible is known to the adult and is in a position of trust and power.

The national figures back this up. In the 2024 to 2025 financial abuse enquiries, the source of risk was:

• someone the person knew by name, other than a paid care provider, in 23,850 cases (72%)
• someone unknown to the person, or never identified, in 5,920 cases (18%)
• a service provider, meaning anyone paid or contracted to provide social care, in 3,360 cases (10%)

The guidance’s list of who can abuse runs from partners, family, friends and neighbours to paid staff, volunteers and strangers. It also describes patterns: serial abusers who groom people, long-term abuse within a family, and opportunistic theft of money or jewellery left lying around.

Not every case is deliberate. The guidance (paragraph 14.40) recognises that abuse may be unintentional, for example when a carer is struggling, and says the response might then include support for the carer, but the focus stays on keeping the adult safe.

What are the warning signs of financial abuse?

The signs are often small, and a pattern matters more than a single event. Paragraph 14.25 of the statutory guidance, SCIE and the NHS page on abuse and neglect of adults at risk point to the same things. Use this as a checklist:

• bills, rent or care fees going unpaid, or arrears building up
• unexplained withdrawals or a sudden shortage of money
• little food, heating or clothing, out of step with the person’s income
• possessions, jewellery or cash going missing
• bank cards, statements or financial documents disappearing
• new names added to accounts, or someone new handling the person’s money
• sudden changes to a will, property deeds or a power of attorney
• a new “best friend” or partner showing unusual interest in the person’s money
• a relative or attorney who is evasive about finances or will not provide receipts
• the person being kept away from visitors, phone calls or post
• unusual official or financial documents, or a build-up of unopened post
• unnecessary or overpriced repairs to the home
• the person seeming anxious, secretive or frightened when money is mentioned

None of these proves abuse; the guidance (paragraph 14.26) says they indicate a closer look may be needed. That is why the next step is to record and report, not to judge.

How do scams target older and disabled adults?

Scams are financial abuse too. The guidance (paragraph 14.28) says internet scams, postal scams and doorstep crime are more often than not targeted at adults at risk, and that these should always be reported to the police and local Trading Standards.

Age UK’s guides to phone scams and doorstep scams describe the common ones:

• Bank and police impersonation: a caller claims to be from the bank or the police and asks for a PIN, or asks the person to hand their card or cash to a courier. Banks and police never do this.
• Doorstep rogue traders: someone calls unannounced, says they have noticed something wrong with the property and offers to fix it, pushing for a quick decision.
• Romance scams: a new online partner who avoids meeting face to face, asks for secrecy and then needs money. Age UK’s advice is never to send money to someone you have not met in person.
• Postal scams: mass-produced letters made to look personal or important.

The national reporting service has changed. Report Fraud replaced Action Fraud on 4 December 2025 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland; the phone number, 0300 123 2040, stayed the same. In Scotland, fraud is reported to Police Scotland on 101.

The government’s Stop! Think Fraud guidance adds two practical steps: call the bank on 159 or the number on the back of the card, and forward scam texts free to 7726. For doorstep crime, the Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133) passes reports to Trading Standards.

If a courier is on the way, or a trader is at the door demanding cash, that is a crime in progress: call 999.

What is misuse of a lasting power of attorney?

It is when an attorney under a lasting power of attorney (LPA), an enduring power of attorney or a deputy appointed by the Court of Protection uses that authority for their own benefit, or fails to act in the person’s best interests. Our Mental Capacity Act guide explains how LPAs and deputyships work.

Under section 12 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, a property and financial affairs attorney may only make gifts on customary occasions such as birthdays and weddings, to people related to or connected with the donor, or to charities the donor supported, and only of a value that is not unreasonable given the size of the estate. Gifts to the attorney themselves are allowed only on those customary occasions.

The guidance’s case study of Mrs B, 88, shows how it surfaces. Her daughter, acting as attorney, stopped paying the care home fees. The home referred to the local authority, which alerted the OPG; the daughter admitted using the proceeds of her mother’s house for her own benefit, and the OPG applied to the Court of Protection to suspend the power of attorney and appoint a deputy.

Anyone can report a concern about an attorney or deputy to the OPG, including care workers and bank staff, online, by phone on 0300 456 0300, or by email to opg.safeguardingunit@publicguardian.gov.uk. The OPG says it will not tell the attorney where the report came from.

One limit matters: GOV.UK says the OPG can only investigate when the person does not have the mental capacity to deal with the issue themselves; otherwise, use the local authority or the police. The OPG aims to finish investigations within 14 weeks and can ask the Court of Protection to freeze accounts or remove an attorney. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate bodies.

What if a DWP appointee is misusing someone’s benefits?

Tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). An appointee manages benefits for someone who cannot manage their own affairs and must spend them in the claimant’s best interests. DWP can stop an appointment if the appointee does not act properly.

The statutory guidance (paragraph 14.32) says anyone with concerns should contact DWP immediately. A National Insurance number helps DWP act more quickly, but you should not delay because you do not have it. In a care service, raise it with your manager straight away, so it is also handled as a safeguarding concern.

Can care workers accept gifts or money from the people they support?

As a rule, no. The Code of Conduct for healthcare support workers and adult social care workers in England says you must never accept offers of loans, gifts, benefits or hospitality from anyone you support, or anyone close to them, which may be seen to compromise your position. Your employer’s policy sets the detail, including how any gift is recorded.

For registered services, regulation 13 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 defines abuse to include theft, misuse or misappropriation of money or property belonging to a service user, and requires systems to prevent it.

In practice that means:

• never borrow money from, or lend money to, someone you support
• never use their card or PIN beyond the task you have been asked to do, and always bring back receipts and change
• never ask to be named in a will, and tell your manager straight away if someone says they want to leave you something
• never keep a person’s cash, cards or valuables “for safekeeping” outside your employer’s procedures

These boundaries protect you too: a clear record answers any later question about where money went.

What should a care worker do if they suspect financial abuse?

Recognise it, record it and report it; do not investigate it. Paragraph 14.199 of the guidance says it is not for front-line staff to second-guess the outcome of an enquiry when deciding whether to share a concern.

1. If anyone is in immediate danger, or a crime is happening now, call 999.
2. Listen without leading. If the person tells you something, stay calm and let them talk. The NHS advises that it is best not to promise to keep it secret.
3. Do not confront the person you suspect or start gathering evidence, such as going through bank statements. It can put the adult at risk and damage a later enquiry.
4. Write it down the same day: dates, times, amounts, what you saw, and the person’s own words in quotation marks. Keep fact separate from opinion.
5. Report it to your manager or safeguarding lead the same day, following your employer’s policy. They will usually raise a safeguarding concern with the local authority and involve the police where a crime is suspected.
6. Escalate if nothing happens. You can contact your local council’s adult social care team directly, and you are protected when you raise concerns in the right way; see our guide to whistleblowing law.

Knowing these steps well before you need them is the point of training. Our Safeguarding Adults (Advanced) Level 2 course covers the ten categories and signs of abuse, mental capacity and consent, and how to respond to, record and refer concerns.

Who do you report financial abuse of an adult at risk to?

It depends on the concern, and more than one route may apply. In a care service, your manager or safeguarding lead usually makes the external referrals.

The last row is a legal duty. Regulation 18 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009 requires the registered person to notify the CQC without delay of any abuse or allegation of abuse involving a person using the service. For confidential advice, older people and those worried about them can call Hourglass on 0808 808 8141.

What if the person says they are happy to give their money away?

Then their choice matters, but your duty to report does not disappear. Adults are free to spend their money as they see fit; paragraph 8.27 of the statutory guidance says this includes making gifts to friends and family. Under section 1(4) of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, a person is not to be treated as unable to make a decision merely because it is unwise.

Two questions separate choice from abuse. First, does the person have the mental capacity to make this particular financial decision? Capacity is decision-specific: someone may manage their weekly shopping but not the sale of their house. Second, is the decision really theirs, or the result of pressure, fear, deception or isolation? Coercion over wills, property and money is named in the guidance as financial abuse, whatever the person says.

You do not have to settle either question yourself. Record what the person said, report the concern, and let the safeguarding process, starting with what the person wants, decide what happens. For more, see our guides to consent in health and social care and the Mental Capacity Act.

How can care providers prevent financial abuse in care settings?

With clear systems that make misuse hard and mistakes visible. Regulation 13 requires registered providers to operate systems and processes effectively to prevent abuse. SCIE lists a lack of clear financial accounts held by a care home or service, and missing receipts for shopping, as signs of financial abuse.

Good practice in handling people’s money includes:

• a written policy on handling people’s money, valuables and personal allowances, which every worker has read
• an individual record for each person, never a pooled pot
• two staff present and signing whenever cash is paid in, taken out or counted
• receipts for every purchase, matched to the record and the change returned
• regular audits by a manager, with any gaps investigated promptly
• a gifts policy and register, and clear rules on cards, PINs and online banking
• safer recruitment and safeguarding training for every role that handles money

These are good practice rather than specific legal rules, so follow your provider’s procedures. They also protect staff, by showing that money was handled properly.

What training helps care workers spot financial abuse?

Safeguarding adults training is the core, and the CQC expects staff to receive safeguarding training at a suitable level for their role. Our guides to safeguarding training requirements and CPD requirements for care workers explain which levels apply. Three Nexis CPD courses fit financial abuse closely:

• Safeguarding Adults (Advanced) Level 2: the law and the six principles, the ten categories and signs of abuse, mental capacity and consent, and recording and referring concerns; 1.5 CPD hours
• Mental Capacity Act: the five principles, the two-stage capacity test, best interests, lasting powers of attorney and the Court of Protection; 2 CPD hours
• Dementia Awareness: how dementia affects memory, perception and communication, person-centred care, and rights and safeguarding; 2 CPD hours

Together they cost £18 rather than £27 under the pay-for-2-get-3 offer. Care providers training 5 or more staff pay £6 a course place, with places lasting 12 months. These are awareness-level CPD courses: they do not make anyone a safeguarding lead or an investigator, and they do not replace your employer’s own safeguarding training and procedures. If you take one, start with Safeguarding Adults (Advanced) Level 2: a 15-question assessment, 80% to pass, and an instant certificate.

£9 per course. CPD accredited, 100% online, verifiable e-certificate. Pay for 2, get 3 — any 3 courses for £18.

Frequently asked questions

What is financial abuse of an adult at risk?

It is the theft, fraud, misuse or misappropriation of the money, property, possessions or benefits of an adult with care and support needs, or putting them under pressure about money, wills, property or inheritance. The Care Act statutory guidance also includes internet scamming.

What are the signs of financial abuse in an older person?

Common signs include unpaid bills or care fees, unexplained withdrawals, missing possessions or documents, too little food or heating for the person’s income, sudden changes to a will or power of attorney, a new friend taking an unusual interest in their money, and the person seeming anxious about money.

Who do you report financial abuse of a vulnerable adult to?

Care workers should report to their manager or safeguarding lead the same day. Concerns go to the local authority’s adult social care team, and to the police if a crime is suspected. Call 999 in an emergency. Concerns about attorneys or deputies go to the Office of the Public Guardian, and about appointees to DWP.

Is financial abuse a crime?

Often, yes. The statutory guidance says most financial abuse is capable of amounting to theft or fraud. Under section 4 of the Fraud Act 2006, someone trusted to look after another person’s finances who dishonestly abuses that position commits fraud.

Can I report an attorney to the Office of the Public Guardian?

Yes. Anyone, including care workers, can report a concern about an attorney or deputy online, by phone on 0300 456 0300 or by email. The OPG can only investigate when the person lacks the mental capacity to deal with the issue themselves, and it will not tell the attorney who reported.

Can care workers accept gifts from the people they support?

Generally no. The Code of Conduct for adult social care workers in England says never to accept loans, gifts, benefits or hospitality that may be seen to compromise your position. Follow your employer’s gifts policy and tell your manager about any offer.

General information, not legal advice — in an emergency call 999. This guide summarises the law and official guidance for England as checked on 20 October 2026; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own safeguarding laws. Nexis CPD courses are CPD-accredited awareness training: they do not make anyone a safeguarding lead or investigator, and they do not replace employer safeguarding training or local procedures.