How to spot the red flags of financial abuse, when a vulnerable loved one is being preyed upon

When a vulnerable person is being abused financially, you must act quickly

Safeguarding is everybody’s business. Illustration: Getty

Gabrielle Monaghan

These days, when it comes to financial deception, it’s the romance scams, the banking and shopping scams, the smishing and investment fraud which tend to grab the headlines.

But financial abuse is even more pernicious. The perpetrator is usually someone known to the victim, often an adult child, sibling, carer – or even a spouse.