BarcelonaThe Mossos d’Esquadra have arrested a 57-year-old carer in La Seu d’Urgell for allegedly stealing 115,000 euros from an elderly couple she was looking after and who had warned that their bank account had been emptied with movements that did not have their authorization.
As a result of the investigation, the police arrested the suspect, accused of the crimes of fraud, usurpation of marital status, dishonest administration and theft after having withdrawn cash. In the summer, the couple – a dependent woman and man, aged 89 and 92, respectively – had hired the worker to do housework and take care of them.
The woman filed the lawsuit after going to the bank with another companion and realizing that ten cash withdrawals totaling 4,800 euros and a bank transfer of 50,200 euros had been made from her account without her knowledge. They also saw that the entry of the transfer in the passbook had been tampered with, because they had deleted the first two digits to make it appear that it was only €200.
In addition, the couple in their nineties discovered that 107 unauthorized cash withdrawals had been made from their husband’s account for a total of €59,180. From there, the woman noticed that jewelry, coins and other valuables from her home were missing.
He had authorization to make arrangements
The carer had access to the couple’s home, which they had authorized to do bank transactions, since they could barely leave the house. The investigation has revealed that the caregiver made the withdrawal of money and was also the recipient of the transfers. Likewise, the police are investigating the woman arrested for alleged usurpation of civil status, for having presented an employment contract in her name with a forged signature.
According to data from the Mossos, every day around 200 people over the age of 65 suffer some type of crime, mostly petty theft, as they take advantage, in many cases, of their vulnerability. The public prosecutor’s office and Catalan notaries are working together to draw up a protocol to help detect scams against this group which, according to experts, are becoming more and more sophisticated due to the emergence of artificial intelligence. Although there is no data on who cheats the elderly, specialized organizations point out that it is mainly children or other families, as well as staff hired for domestic work.
