Protecting Your Golden Years

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Accountant embezzled 800K from elderly client

On Behalf of | Mar 4, 2022 | Asset protection |

In Georgia and elsewhere, the elderly are prime targets for unscrupulous individuals looking for financial gain, and sometimes, those individuals are in a position of trust or authority over the elderly victim. Whether it is through a phone scam or some other method, some people will try to defraud elderly individuals of their hard-earned savings, leaving the victim destitute in the process. Such seems to be the case in a recent incident in Georgia, where an accountant pleaded guilty to embezzling.

Charges detailed

The accused was an accountant at a wealth management firm in Atlanta. Between 2010 and 2021, she misappropriated around $800,000 from the accounts of an elderly client for her own purposes. As an accountant, the woman had access to the victim’s Social Security number and bank and investment accounts, as well as the person’s usernames and passwords for various online accounts.

The FBI investigated the case, and two Assistant U.S. Attorneys are prosecuting it. The 52-year-old accountant was charged with a slew of criminal offenses, including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. She pleaded guilty to the charges and will face sentencing later this year.

Protecting the elderly

In this case, like so many other cases involving elder financial abuse, the victim was unable to properly manage her own financial affairs. Sadly, many elderly people place their trust in individuals to make these kinds of decisions for them, and sometimes, they lose everything they have. When this occurs, the victim and his or her family should consult with an experienced elder law attorney in Georgia who can help investigate the matter and hold the abuser responsible for his or her actions.