BOCA RATON, Fla. (CBS12) — An independent caregiver from Port St. Lucie stands accused of embezzling over $18,000 from an elderly client by forging signatures on 32 unauthorized checks.
The Boca Raton Police Department (BRPD) said that on March 7, 2024, officers spoke with the daughter of an elderly woman who had noticed a series of bounced checks from her mother’s bank account.
After conducting a personal financial audit, it was discovered that Rachel Albert, 55, an independent caregiver who began working with the elderly woman and her husband in September 2023, had allegedly written checks to herself, forging her clients’ signatures.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the total amount embezzled from Albert’s client’s account reached $15,330 over 32 checks. Additionally, it was uncovered that unauthorized credit card charges on the client’s Citibank card, totaling $2,711.35, were made for personal purchases.
On August 8, 2024, BRPD officers interviewed Albert, 55, who claimed she received checks for payroll and mentioned a connection to her daughter, saying that her client had gifted her something for graduation. However, the report states that the client had no knowledge of Albert’s daughter and had not authorized any checks or personal use of her credit card.
“As our senior community ages, we have a lot of home health caregivers that present themselves as caregivers that unfortunately take advantage of our seniors,” said Iris Collins-Cruz, an elder law attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County.
Collins-Cruz says home health aides are supposed to be trustworthy, but sometimes they are not.
“It becomes so easy for them to actually exploit the senior person because they do have access to their credit cards if they’re taking them to the store, they’re making purchases on their behalf. I think it’s very, very important if you have a senior parent to oversee their bank accounts, their credit cards,” she said.
Collins-Cruz has this advice for seniors in south Florida to protect themselves.
“If you’re gonna live by yourself and you have family out of state, make sure they get a power of attorney so that although they’re not physically present with you, they still can oversee your assets, they can oversee your bank account,” she explained.
Collins-Cruz recommends if you hire a home health aide nurse, it’s better to find someone who works for an agency, rather than a person who is independent.
She says you can check to make sure they have a current license by going to the Florida Dept. of Health website.
Albert was arrested Wednesday is charged with grand theft from a person over 65, uttering forged checks, fraudulent use of a credit card and fraudulent use of personal identification information.
Boca Raton Police did not make anyone available for an on-camera interview. But they sent CBS12 News this written statement: “The Boca Raton Police Department remains committed to the safety of our residents. A relative of an elderly couple discovered a fraudulent loan had been opened in the couple’s name in a mailed letter from their financial institution. This helped our detectives, who worked diligently to hold the accused party responsible for attempting to take advantage of our residents. We are asking elderly residents and their families to continue checking their bank statements and transaction logs to spot any fraudulent activity.”
