Memphis police say a 45-year-old woman posing as a lawyer and financial adviser tried to walk out of a bank with $75,000 from an 87-year-old customer's account, armed with a fat check and what investigators call fake conservatorship papers.
According to Action News 5, the suspect, identified by police as Angela Hasan, 45, first met the elderly victim and her daughter at a business pop-up and offered to help the family with estate planning. Investigators say that pitch turned into a trip to the bank on Feb. 10, where Hasan and the family tried to deposit a $75,000 check drawn on the 87-year-old’s account.
The bank manager refused to process the deposit, but according to the report, $25,000 from the account was nevertheless wired to Hasan. The next day, police say Hasan came back with the same $75,000 check and what appeared to be conservatorship paperwork. Bank employees, already wary, rejected the transaction a second time.
The 87-year-old later told officers she believed she had signed routine estate-planning documents, not a conservatorship, and that she never authorized anyone to withdraw money from her account. Memphis police arrested Hasan, booked her into jail, and say she now faces multiple charges.
What the charges mean under Tennessee law
Authorities say Hasan is charged with attempted theft of property, financial exploitation of an elderly adult, and impersonation of a licensed professional. Under Tennessee law, “financial exploitation” includes obtaining control over an elderly person’s money or property through deception and is prosecuted under Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-15-502.
The statute treats financial exploitation like theft, which can impact how severely the offense is classified and can also allow prosecutors to seek court orders freezing assets so there is money left to pay back victims if there is a conviction. You can read the statute text at Justia, and see a state explainer on protections for older adults at the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions.
Banks can refuse suspicious transactions
Tennessee law also gives banks some leeway when something feels off. Financial institutions may refuse or delay a transaction if there is reasonable cause to suspect a customer is being exploited, buying time for law enforcement or adult-protective services to investigate.
That authority, spelled out in Tenn. Code Ann. § 45-2-1203 helps explain why the bank manager in this case twice declined to process the $75,000 withdrawal attempt. For the bank statute, see FindLaw.
How families can protect older relatives
Cases like this are not one-offs. Scams involving forged checks and bogus legal documents turn up regularly in local crime reports. In another case, for instance, Action News 5 reported on a suspect accused of forging a check and using someone else’s identity to take money from their account.
Officials and consumer advocates say families should be cautious whenever someone new shows up offering financial or legal help to an older relative, especially if they push for quick signatures or large money moves. Practical steps can include setting up bank fraud alerts, requiring an extra signer for big withdrawals, or asking a bank to place temporary holds if something looks suspicious.
If you suspect an elderly or vulnerable adult is being financially exploited, contact local law enforcement or Adult Protective Services so investigators can step in quickly.
Memphis police say Hasan was taken into custody and faces the listed charges. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Memphis Police Department. At the time of reporting, investigators had not released further details about the case.
