Under Utah law, financial exploitation occurs when someone improperly takes or uses an older adult’s money, property, or legal authority for their own benefit. This can look like:

• Transferring funds or assets without the elder’s informed consent.
• Manipulating or pressuring the senior into signing documents or making financial decisions.
• Abusing a power of attorney, guardianship, or trust authority for personal gain.
• Committing fraud, identity theft, or forgery targeting an older adult.

Utah’s Adult Protective Services (APS) and prosecutors treat these cases seriously because even modest losses can threaten an elder’s housing, medical care, and long-term independence.

Financial abuse often starts small and grows over time. Utah families should watch for red flags such as:

• Sudden or unexplained withdrawals, transfers, or new payment apps (Venmo, Cash App, etc.).
• Missing cash, checks, debit or credit cards, or personal documents.
• New “friends,” caregivers, or helpers who gain unusual influence over decisions.
• A parent becoming fearful, confused, or secretive about their money.
• Unpaid bills or shut-off notices even though income should cover expenses.
• Last-minute changes to wills, beneficiaries, or powers of attorney that don’t fit prior wishes.

Treat these signs as early warnings, not proof you must ignore. Acting sooner usually makes it easier to stop losses and stabilize your parent’s situation.

Utah law provides several tools to protect older adults from financial exploitation. Depending on the situation, families may use one or more of the options below.

Elder Abuse Protective Orders. Utah courts can issue protective orders that:

• Restrict an abuser from contacting the elder or accessing accounts.
• Prevent interference with medical or financial decisions.
• Help shield bank accounts or property from further misuse.

Guardianship and Conservatorship. When an elderly parent can no longer manage finances safely, the court may appoint:

• A guardian to make personal and medical decisions.
• A conservator to manage money, investments, and bills.

These are serious steps that transfer decision-making power, but they can be necessary when cognitive decline or serious vulnerability makes financial exploitation likely.

Mandatory Reporting. In Utah, certain people and institutions must report suspected elder abuse or exploitation to APS, including many healthcare providers, long-term care facilities, and some financial institutions. Banks may freeze suspicious transactions and notify authorities.

Criminal Charges. Depending on what happened, offenders may face charges such as theft, fraud, forgery, identity theft, or financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult. Penalties can include restitution, fines, probation, and jail or prison time.

Stopping ongoing abuse is the first priority. The second is trying to recover what was taken and hold the offender accountable.

1. Contact Adult Protective Services (APS). File a report with Utah APS as soon as you suspect exploitation. APS can investigate, connect you with resources, and coordinate with law enforcement and the courts.

2. Call law enforcement. For clear theft, fraud, forged checks, or identity misuse, make a police report. Documentation like bank statements, emails, texts, and witness accounts will be important.

3. Notify banks and financial institutions. Utah banks can often:

• Freeze or flag suspicious accounts.
• Block further access by the suspected abuser.
• Attempt to reverse certain unauthorized transfers or charges.

4. Explore civil options. In addition to criminal restitution, families may pursue civil lawsuits to recover damages, challenge fraudulent deeds or titles, or compel an accounting of how money was used.

5. Review and update estate planning documents. If a power of attorney, trust, or joint account has been misused, a Utah court can revoke authority, appoint a conservator, or require detailed financial reporting.

Scenario. A 78-year-old father in Davis County hires an at-home caregiver. Over time, the caregiver begins “helping” with online banking, driving him to the bank, and discouraging family involvement. Soon, the family notices:

• Multiple ATM withdrawals their father cannot explain.
• A new credit card with rising balances.
• Beneficiary changes that favor the caregiver.

Family response. The adult children:

• Collect bank statements and note every suspicious transaction.
• Report concerns to APS, which opens an investigation.
• File a police report; officers obtain bank video and transaction data.
• Seek an Elder Abuse Protective Order limiting the caregiver’s contact and financial access.
• Ask the court to appoint a conservator to stabilize their father’s finances.

Outcome. The caregiver is charged with financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult. The court grants a protective order and appoints a conservator. The bank reverses some fraudulent charges, and the father’s bills, medications, and housing are put back on solid footing.

This kind of step-by-step response document, report, protect, and then rebuild, reflects how many real Utah cases move through the system.

Use this chart as a snapshot of how different problems are usually handled in Utah. It is not legal advice, but it can help you orient yourself before speaking with an attorney.

Issue	What Utah Allows	Who Helps
Unauthorized transfers or withdrawals	Account freezes, APS investigation, police report, potential restitution	Banks, APS, local law enforcement
Misuse of power of attorney	Revocation, court-ordered accounting, appointment of a conservator	Probate court, Utah attorneys
Coercion or manipulation by caregiver or relative	Elder Abuse Protective Orders, removal of access, changes to authority	Utah courts, APS, law enforcement
Scams and fraud (phone, online, romance, charity)	Criminal charges, restitution requests, fraud investigations	Police, banks, APS
Cognitive decline affecting money management	Guardianship or conservatorship; structured oversight of finances	Probate court, medical professionals, attorneys