London police say they have charged a 50-year-old man with multiple counts of fraud after he allegedly cheated one of his elderly neighbours out of more than $130,000.
Police say the fraud took place between January 1, 2017 and September 29, 2017, but say the relationship between the accused and the elderly woman started a couple of years before that.
Officers say an elderly woman, who is in her 80s, was befriended by a neighbour back in 2015 who slowly worked to gain her trust by helping her out with errands and repairs around her home.
However, it appears that helpful neighbour may have been a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Officers say when the woman started trusting the man with her bank documents, he allegedly used that information to access all of her accounts. He's also accused of opening several credit cards in the woman's name without her knowledge or consent. Police say the man allegedly used those cards to take out cash, got himself added as a secondary card holder, and was also named power of attorney for her property.
Investigators say a family member noticed the suspicious transactions this past June and notified police.
Officers then carried out a three-month investigation and ended up arresting a 50-year-old London man in connection with the case. He's now charged with four counts of fraud, one count of attempted fraud, and one count of theft.
According to police, financial fraud "is said to be the fastest growing form of elder and vulnerable person abuse" and often goes unreported.
You can find information on how to protect yourself and your loved ones under the Crime Prevention section of the London Police Service website by clicking here.