Tackle it Tuesday: Financial Exploitation Part 2

May 21, 2025

Welcome to Tackle It Tuesday, a social media series where an autistic employee at AAoM (yours truly) writes workplace (and now more!) tips to better cope with the stresses of a world not built for neurodiversity.

This Tackle it Tuesday is on financial exploitation. Well, the next part of likely three(ish) entries: financial abuse from the inner circle. This time, I’m focusing on financial abuse from carers. There aren’t nearly as many resources on this as there should be, so I had to find and fact-check a lot of my research. I’m no financial expert, after all. I’m just someone who likes to keep their money.

I also want to give a disclaimer: this is not meant to disparage caregivers. Caregivers are often the biggest advocates for their autistic relatives. This is for when that isn’t the case and what you can do, either as an autistic person yourself or as an advocate on their behalf.

An image on a green background. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Financial Abuse From the Inner Circle It’s a hard truth, but there are a lot of cases where autistic or otherwise disabled adults can be the target of financial abuse from their inner circle. This can be care staff, family members, close friends, or romantic partners. There are ways to protect from these situations, whether you’re protecting yourself, a loved one, or even a stranger."

An image on a green background. in the middle bottom of the image, there are two green squares that read "1: Financial Abuse from a Caregiver" and "2: Financial Abuse from a Non-Caregiver" The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Financial Abuse From the Inner Circle Different kinds of financial abuse can happen to autistic and otherwise disabled people, which I will categorize in two ways. 1: Financial Abuse from a Caregiver 2: Financial Abuse from a Non-Caregiver We will be looking at the first category today."

An image on a green background. On the bottom left, there is a person in a green shirt taking money out of an envelope. There is a speech bubble indicating that the money belongs to someone wearing a white sleeveless outfit. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Financial Abuse from a Caregiver This is abuse that can happen to someone who cannot manage their finances, where someone with access to their funds can take advantage of the disabled person in question and use their money for their own ends."

An image on a green background. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Financial Abuse Warnings The Special Needs Alliance put out a list of warning signs: I modified for easier reading. -The individual becomes increasingly isolated. The agent or caregiver suddenly acquires costly items. -Missing cash, valuables, or financial statements. -Lavish spending, monetary gifts to others, transferring of assets."

An image on a green background. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Financial Abuse Warnings The Special Needs Alliance put out a list of warning signs: I modified for easier reading. Unpaid bills or termination of utilities (such as water or medical payments). Finances are suddenly handled by others without explanation. Unexplained changes to estate documents."

An image on a green background. On the bottom right, there is a pile of documents. This includes social security, birth certificates, estate plans, and doctor's notes. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: What Can You Do? Know where documents are. If you or your advocate asks where your financial documents are and the person refuses to answer, or there are inconsistencies when you see the documents, that’s a huge red flag."

An image on a green background. On the bottom right, there is SSI in bubble letters, a red debit card, and an income statement. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: What Can You Do? Documents include: -Credit/debit card statements (what was spent on a credit/debit card) -Income statements (how much money was given to you from a job) -SSI Statements (Social Security/ Government) -Social Security Card -Estate Plans"

An image on a green background. On the bottom left, there is a document titled "Power of Attorney for Health Decisions" with a black pen on top. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: What Do You Do? Be extremely careful with Power of Attorney: Power of Attorney is a legal process in which one person is responsible for another person, whether it’s about money, assets, or healthcare. Be extremely careful who you grant this power to, talk to a lawyer, and lay out as many specifics as possible. When in doubt, a power of attorney order can be changed."

An image on a green background. On the bottom of the image, there is a group of three people chatting. From left to right: A person in a white dress, a person with glasses and a blue and white shirt, and a person with a purple button-down unbuttoned to show a light blue shirt underneath. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: What Do You Do? The biggest tool in an abuser’s arsenal is isolation. If no one knows someone is being abused, it can go on indefinitely. That’s why family and friends need to check in frequently, even just to say hello. A healthy social circle for a vulnerable adult can be the difference between life and death."

An image on a green background. There are two QR code images, which will be rendered as links in this alt text. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: What Do You Do? Find Adult Protective Services In Your Area: https://www.napsa-now.org/financial-exploitation/ More Tips on Finance Exploitation from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: https://ask.fdic.gov/fdicinformationandsupportcenter/s/article/Q-What-are-some-tips-to-help-persons-with-disabilities-avoid-financial-abuse?language=en_US"

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