We would all like to think that we have the backs of our elderly loved ones. We keep an eye out for signs that they may be experiencing neglect or abuse. However, sometimes it is the diligence of complete strangers that end up catching abuse that we miss. As the Mansfield News Journal reports, two bank employees are credited with catching the culprit in a case of financial elder abuse.
The elderly man who was being swindled had been taken for just over $20,000 by the time that some watchful bank employees thought something might be wrong.
It all started when 47-year-old Leonard C. Lovell from Athens, Alabama came into KeyBank on Lexington Avenue and asked to cash a check. Lead teller Tiffany Osgar had a gut feeling something was not quite right.
She felt that the man trying to cash the check seemed too chatty. Like something was up. So, she called the client. And when the client said that nothing was wrong, Osgar cashed the check. But she still didn’t feel quite right about it.
She informed her manager, Dana Shade, who followed up with the client once more. Again, the client assured the bank employee nothing was wrong.
The two employees still felt that something was wrong, so they contacted the Agency on Aging to report what they saw as a potential case of financial elder abuse. The Mansfield police took over from there.
Lovell had been allegedly claiming that he was from the city and was having the elderly client write out checks to him and to cash so he could “work on the pipes.” He had swindled the elderly man out of $20,550 before he was caught.
Lovell, who is also wanted on other theft warrants, is being held in the Licking County Jail.
If you believe that yourself or a loved one has been the victim of elder abuse, contact the law offices of Schenk Smith. Let our experienced attorneys work on your case to get you the compensation you deserve. Call us today.
