My grandmother, for whom I am her chosen caregiver, because in the last several months she has apparently lost the ability to make good decisions and understand the concept of responsible managing and spending money. She has lost the knowledge of balancing checkbook, what to spend and when to spend and what she can spend!
She has even snuck out the car and left on mission to go send a large sums of money to collect “winnings “ - got lost and I had to make a missing persons report - was lucky enough police in a few towns over called my son, while I was talking w/ officers at our home, making a report, they had been callled by a person who assisted her when she stopped an asked for help cause she was lost, so we were very lucky! But she admitted why she went out and why but said she never got the money, she did this another time a few months back. But never said what she was doing, but it was same Scenario.
However last month apparently she has given her account information or they were able to obtain account information and no there was $6000 negative in our account at this point since the first of the month so along with her spending and lack of an understanding that it writes out that there’s limits. For some reason she has forgotten his limits and she’s become vulnerable to the scammers and thieves that are speaking drama phone. I have caught her several times giving out her information about her accounts and numbers and other such things and if those times I have called her I was able to stop her before hand but maybe she was able to get those things to her to them about that before when I was not here and unable to prevent it.
I have had to begin watching for the postman to get to the mail before her due to the fact that she sends out so many small checks to every individual and every agency and every government politician and everything they ask for money to throw these requests away because she sends money to anything to ask for money her decision making when it comes to spend it has been lost. Her ability to understand the concepts of balance and checkbooks and limits on spending and everything I thought and he has been had boom overnight and she has become very upset possessive and unreasonable when it comes to my find your help or assist hiding statements hiding things she’s gotten credit cards that she hides it does nothing but charge everyone about Max amount to the point of they’re all just $10 charge of $15 charges also donations to governments charities politicians fraud scams any and everything and hide things from me doesn’t museum. It’s gotten to the point now that we have not been able to pay bills due to overspending and the cost of overdraft and insufficient fun fees and since we have been we have not been positive balance since the middle of last month and everything is being returned bills are not getting paid I don’t know what to do I’m gonna go to work I can’t leave her alone unsupervised because she has a fall risk. I have to have all phone calls be forwarded to my phone so she cannot get incoming calls whether I’m home or away she can’t make outgoing calls but no one can call and to check on her because I can’t trust her on the phone not to give out information I’ve had to return items that she has purchased I’ve had to get utilities back in order because she has authorized changing of utility providers and just a lot of things and I don’t know what’s going on she hides things she sneaks things she doesn’t bounce books I can’t but today I am going to we’re going to the bank today because we are negative almost $7000 in the bank and it’s only Mile month every dime that goes into Social Security or pension and the extra out of her trust it goes in every month was gone is a bingo on spin without putting more money and all the stuff is going to make things from last month will not for I have no idea I think someone has gotten into it I don’t information is taking money
Disable her car so she can't go anywhere (secretly remove the keys and discretely take out the battery or drive the car away and tell her it's in the shop, then do not return it ever). She's a danger to herself and others on the road! Go online and report her to DMV so that they send a letter informing her to come in and take new tests, then don't take her for those tests and let her license expire. This won't prevent her from driving but it is a formality to legally prevent her. You must disable or remover her car.
Protect all her sensitive info (services like LifeLock, etc.) Remove her credit cards, ATM card and checkbooks; remove any paperwork that would allow her to read off account numbers or SSN, etc.
Consider replacing her phone with one for people with dementia so that only authorized people can call her and she can only call those people.
https://www.alzstore.com/picture-memory-phone-dementia-s/1843.htm
Consider that she needs facility care now since she can't make decisions in her own best interests. If no one is her legal PoA then call APS and report her as a vulnerable adult.
Is your name on the account with hers? If so, I would be concerned that the bank could come after any other accounts in your name to recover the money.
Perhaps the bank has opened a fraud investigation and has temporarily adjusted the negative amount. That doesn’t guarantee that they won’t decide against her/you in the end.
Consider getting your name off of the account, or more likely closing it and opening a new one. Be aware that changing any Social Security direct deposit can be a pain. If your name is on it and you can’t close it, can you turn off the overdraft protection so it can’t go negative?
Even if you don’t have POA to protect her, you still need to protect yourself.