I am on my mother's checking acct. She has given checks to a contractor that ripped her off of a huge amt. of $$. She is competent at this point, but has made some bad decisions without telling s or wanting advice. Before we knew it, she wrote over $15,000 to a scam artist/contractor/door to door. We want to protect her and implement some sort of control, but she is very stubborn and at this pointk, will not turn her checkbook over to one of us to help her out. We are helpless. Might there be something we could arrange with her bank to monitor or send up a red flag? Maybe a maximum or ceiling amt. that if someone did try to cash a large check from her, it would cause an alert? I plan on contacting her bank to see asap. Anyone else out there with similar issues? My brother and I are so afraid that she will just end up broke at some point if she continues to spend as she has done - it's frustating and a helpless feeling for us to not be able to stop her.
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I know it sound deceitful, but I would rather it be an "AND" account instead of an 'OR" account to protect your mother and her assets.
If your mother in the the beginning stages of Alzheimer's or has any other issues that might indicate her inability to handle her finances, see if you can get her to agree to a DPOA (durable power of attorney) so NO ONE will take advantage of her.
Don't mention any of the money that has been 'lost' so far, but perhaps if you do some online 'alerts' you will know of the activity before too much transpires.