Lauren Shay, a 30-year-old woman from Southborough, was arraigned yesterday, October 4, in Central BMC. She's accused of unauthorized charges amounting to $45,716.15, made using her mother-in-law's credit card at a Boston Saks Fifth Avenue, states the Suffolk District Attorney's office . The case against Shay includes two counts of improper credit card usage exceeding $1,200 and pertains to an unresolved improper firearm storage issue.
Financial abuse, particularly within familial settings, often goes uncaptured or unreported, with far-reaching consequences for the victims and their family. As per the case with Shay, investigators rule that the fraudulent activity started from December 22, 2022. Shay had contacted her victim's personal shopper at Saks Fifth Avenue, providing a photo of the victim's credit card to associate with her shopping member profile. The personal shopper was unaware of any wrongdoing since the cardholder's first name didn't match the known victim's name.
The fraudulent activity came into notice only on July 20, 2023, when the Boston Police were informed about suspicious credit card transactions transpired between June 19 and June 23. The elderly victim only knew about these misjoins when her accountant raised an alarm. Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden reacted to these charges, stating, "Stealing such a large sum of money, especially from a trusting family member, is a breach of familial trust and creates legal ramifications."
The implications of financial abuses on older victims and their families can become grim in their diversities, such as theft, fraud, deceit that directly affects the victim's financial stability and wellness and to add deeply emotional and psychological harm. The culprits too often, as in Shay's alleged case, are known people who manage to manipulate their victims while cleverly concealing their misdeeds.
District Attorney Hayden articulated, "The legal aspects can be managed through the court system, but repairing the damaged familial relationships is an uphill task. It is common to see loved ones and elders being victimized without thought of the fallout for their targets or themselves."
Any suspected cases of financial maltreatment of the elderly should be reported to the Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-800-922-2275 or by visiting the Massachusetts government's official page for reporting elder financial abuse and fraud.
