Financial Harm
Financial harm includes theft, fraud, pressure to hand over or sign over property or money, misuse of property or welfare benefits, stopping someone getting their money or possessions, or being scammed by rogue traders, online scams, by email or by post.
Financial harm is one of the most common forms of harm reported to local adult protection units. It can have a significant impact on a vulnerable adult, not just on their finances, but also on their physical and mental health. Unpaid bills, having debts, taking out loans, or possessions going missing from their home, could all be signs of financial harm. Other signs could be that they look unkempt or thin, or has lost confidence, or are anxious or distressed.
How can you help?
The Grampian Financial Harm subgroup met today and discussed how to learn from people's experiences of financial harm to enable effective responses and resources to be developed. If you have a story around financial harm that you would be willing to share please respond using the my story tool on this page.
If you are concerned that a vulnerable adult may be at risk of financial harm, please don’t ignore it – adult protection is everyone's business. You can report suspicious activity to Aberdeenshire's Adult Protection Network, or if reporting a crime contact Police Scotland on 101. The matter will be dealt with sensitively and confidentially, and support given if needed.
