When an older person is being drained of money by a scammer, a caregiver, or even a relative, families often feel they have nowhere to turn. There is a public agency in every state built for exactly this situation. Adult Protective Services investigates the abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of older and vulnerable adults, and knowing how to reach it can stop a loss before it wipes out a lifetime of savings.
What Adult Protective Services does
Adult Protective Services, commonly abbreviated APS, is a state and local program that responds to reports of mistreatment of older adults and adults with disabilities. The Administration for Community Living’s overview of Adult Protective Services explains that these programs investigate reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation, and work to protect vulnerable adults while respecting their rights and choices.
Financial exploitation is a central part of that mandate. It can take many forms: a caregiver siphoning funds, a relative pressuring an elder to sign over assets, a scammer who has gained a victim’s trust, or someone misusing a power of attorney. APS caseworkers can investigate such situations, assess whether the person is at risk, and connect them with services, legal resources, and other protections. In serious cases, they can involve law enforcement or the courts.
Importantly, APS aims to help while honoring the older adult’s autonomy. A competent adult has the right to make their own decisions, so APS works to stop exploitation and offer support rather than simply overriding the person’s wishes. That balance shapes how cases are handled.
Free for readers: Scam calls targeting retirees change every week. The free Retirement Shield newsletter flags the ones going around and the one tell that stops each. Sign up free.
Warning signs of financial exploitation
Recognizing exploitation early is what allows APS or others to intervene before the damage is severe. Warning signs include sudden or unexplained withdrawals, new names added to accounts, a caregiver or acquaintance controlling an elder’s finances or isolating them from family, unpaid bills despite adequate resources, or changes to a will, deed, or power of attorney that seem out of character. A previously independent person who suddenly cannot account for their money may be a target.
Scam-driven exploitation shows similar patterns, such as large payments to unfamiliar parties, secrecy about phone calls or online relationships, or panic about a supposed emergency requiring money. The Federal Trade Commission’s consumer education for older adults encourages families to talk openly about these schemes, which makes the warning signs easier to spot and less shameful to raise.
How to get help
Reaching APS is done through state and local channels, and there are national resources to find the right contact. The Eldercare Locator, a public service of the Administration for Community Living, connects people to local agencies serving older adults, including how to report suspected abuse or exploitation. Many states also operate a dedicated hotline for reporting concerns about a vulnerable adult.
Reports can generally be made by a concerned family member, friend, neighbor, or professional, and in many cases can be made confidentially. A person does not need proof to make a report; a reasonable concern is enough to prompt APS to look into the situation. Acting on a suspicion, rather than waiting for certainty, is often what allows an intervention to happen in time.
Acting before the money is gone
Because financial exploitation can escalate quickly, prompt action matters. In addition to contacting APS, a family may need to alert the older adult’s bank, which can flag or halt suspicious transactions, and, in cases involving theft or fraud, notify law enforcement. If a scam is involved, reporting it to the FTC adds to the record used to pursue offenders.
The broader message is that families facing the exploitation of an older relative are not on their own. Adult Protective Services exists in every state to investigate and respond, the Eldercare Locator points the way to the right local office, and banks and law enforcement can add further protection. Knowing that this safety net exists, watching for the warning signs, and reaching out promptly when something seems wrong can stop financial exploitation before it consumes the savings an older person depends on, turning a frightening situation into one where real help is available.
What happens after a report
Understanding how the process unfolds can make families more willing to reach out. After a report, an Adult Protective Services caseworker typically assesses the situation, which may include speaking with the older adult, reviewing the circumstances, and determining whether the person is at risk and what help they are willing to accept. Because a competent adult retains the right to make their own decisions, the goal is to stop exploitation and offer support rather than to override the person’s wishes, and services are often voluntary.
Caseworkers can connect an older adult with a range of resources, from financial and legal help to social services, and in serious cases they can coordinate with law enforcement or the courts. Reports can usually be made confidentially, and a person does not need proof to make one; a reasonable concern is enough to prompt a look. That low threshold is intentional, so that concerns can be raised before a situation escalates.
Acting quickly and on multiple fronts
Because financial exploitation can move fast, prompt action on several fronts protects an older relative best. Alongside contacting Adult Protective Services, a family may need to alert the person’s bank, which can flag or halt suspicious transactions, and, where theft or fraud is involved, notify law enforcement. If a scam is at the root, reporting it to the Federal Trade Commission adds to the record used to pursue offenders. The Administration for Community Living’s Eldercare Locator points families to the right local agencies and services. The reassuring message is that families facing the exploitation of an older relative are not on their own; a public safety net exists in every state, and knowing the warning signs, reaching out promptly, and coordinating with banks and law enforcement can stop exploitation before it consumes the savings an older person depends on.
Free for readers: Want plain-English help keeping more of your money in retirement? The free Retirement Shield newsletter covers scams, benefits, and money you’re owed, a couple times a week. Subscribe free.
This article was researched and drafted with AI assistance and reviewed against the linked primary sources.
David M. Keller is a finance writer based in Columbus, Ohio, covering personal finance and consumer-focused economic topics. He earned his degree in journalism from Ohio University and began his career reporting on local business and economic trends for a regional media outlet. Since then, he has contributed to a variety of online publications, focusing on clear, practical coverage of topics such as cost of living, debt, and everyday financial decision-making.
