Financial abuse occurs when someone controls your financial resources without your consent.
Financial abuse includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Not allowing the person to participate in educational programs;
- Forcing the person to work outside the home;
- Refusing to let the person work outside the home or attend school;
- Controlling the person’s choice of occupation;
- Illegally or improperly using a person’s money, assets or property;
- Acts of fraud; pulling off a scam against a person;
- Taking funds from the person without permission for one’s own use;
- Misusing funds through lies, trickery, controlling or withholding money;
- Not allowing access to bank accounts, savings, or other income;
- Giving an allowance and then requiring justification for all money spent;
- Persuading the person to buy a product or give away money;
- Selling the house, furnishings or other possessions without permission;
- Forging a signature on pension cheques or legal documents;
- Misusing a power of attorney, an enduring power of attorney or legal guardianship;
- Not paying bills;
- Opening mail without permission;
- Living in a person’s home without paying fairly for expenses; and,
- Destroying personal property.
