Caretaker suspected of looting bank account

~ Thousands discovered missing from elderly Cape man's savings.

Several thousands of dollars were stolen through forgery from an 83-year-old man's checking account over a three-month period.

The Cape Girardeau man's son discovered inconsistencies in his father's account and reported it to authorities on Monday, police spokesman Jason Selzer said.

They believe the elderly man's caretaker, who had nothing to do with his finances, took the victim's checks and wrote them to herself, used them to pay personal bills or buy groceries, Selzer said.

Thousands of dollars were stolen from the man's account on 26 forged checks, with two checks written out for more than $500, according to Selzer.

The victim in the case declined to comment when reached for questioning.

Similar incident

This incident comes on the heels of a similar case where a 91-year-old man was bilked out of thousands of dollars in an apparent identity theft scheme.

The victim's caregiver reported 13 incidents of withdrawals and online payments to a credit card between March and the end of May, Selzer said. The main suspect is the man's former financial adviser.

No charges had been filed in either the forgery or identity theft case, and both remained open and under investigation.

While Selzer said it was not odd for Cape Girardeau police to encounter thefts from forged checks or identity thefts, it was out of the ordinary for two cases to occur with such large amounts of money apparently stolen by trusted acquaintances of senior citizens.

"That aspect of the case is unusual," he said.

Selzer recommended seniors to rely on a trusted family member to monitor their finances and ensure there are no discrepancies.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127