Scams and Financial Vulnerability in Dementia

A phone call. A friendly voice. A convincing reason to hand over bank details, "just to confirm your identity." Scammers are genuinely good at what they do, and dementia can make someone significantly more vulnerable to exactly this kind of approach, not because they're foolish, but because the disease affects the very things that normally protect us: judgement, scepticism, and resistance to pressure.

Why dementia increases the risk

Dementia can affect the ability to spot red flags, weigh up a decision under pressure, or hold onto healthy suspicion when someone sounds friendly and confident. Scammers deliberately create urgency and pressure, exactly the conditions dementia makes harder to resist. Loneliness plays a role too: a chatty, friendly caller can feel like welcome company rather than a warning sign, especially for someone who doesn't get many calls otherwise.

Protecting finances without stripping dignity

This is the hardest part, and there's no single right answer, but there are real, workable options that don't mean taking everything away.

A third-party mandate, available at most UK banks, lets a trusted person help manage day-to-day banking alongside the account holder, without removing their own access or independence. It's a genuinely lighter-touch option than taking full control.

Registering someone as a vulnerable customer with their bank means staff are trained to be more alert to unusual activity, and may flag or query suspicious transactions before they complete. Most major banks (NatWest, RBS, and others) have a specific vulnerable customer process for exactly this.

If capacity has already been lost and more formal control is needed, a Property and Financial Affairs LPA (or, in Scotland, a Continuing Power of Attorney) gives an attorney proper legal authority. Read our full LPA guide →

Simple practical steps help too: call-blocking on landlines and mobiles, removing a name from cold-calling lists via the Telephone Preference Service, and gently talking through "if someone calls asking for X, it's always worth checking with me first" while it can still be a two-way conversation, not an instruction.

If it's already happened

Contact the bank immediately, fast action can sometimes stop or reverse a payment, especially if it's reported within hours rather than days. Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at actionfraud.police.uk. Keep any emails, texts, or details of the call.

Take Five to Stop Fraud, the national UK Finance campaign, is built around three simple steps worth remembering for the future: Stop (take a moment before sharing money or information), Challenge (it's fine to question or refuse), Protect (contact the bank immediately if something's gone wrong). Friends Against Scams also offers free short online training if you want to feel more confident spotting the signs.

It's worth saying plainly: this affects carers emotionally too, not just financially. Discovering a parent has been scammed, or having to step in and restrict their access, can bring up real guilt and grief alongside the practical fallout. That reaction is normal, not something to push down.

A word from The Care Compass

I had to physically stop my mum giving her bank details to a scammer on the phone. It's a genuinely unsettling moment, realising someone you love is vulnerable in a way they never used to be, and having to step in feels uncomfortable even when it's clearly right. If this has happened to you, you're not alone in it, and you're not doing anything wrong by protecting them.

This is general guidance, not financial or legal advice. For anything involving a bank account or Power of Attorney, please speak to the bank directly or a qualified solicitor.

You don’t have to navigate it alone.