A 31-year-old Fergus woman has been charged with 45 counts of fraud under $5,000 after allegedly defrauding an older Guelph couple of nearly $100,000 while providing in-home care services. The charges were announced by the Guelph Police Service on September 17, 2026.
The investigation began in January 2026 when the couple’s daughter discovered dozens of unauthorized cheques issued to the support worker and deposited into her account. Police say some cheques were deposited months after they were made out, including some deposited after the couple had switched to paying the worker by e-transfer. Investigators compared actual hours worked with amounts paid and found that in some months the woman received two or three times what she was entitled to.
The accused turned herself in to police on September 16, 2026. She is scheduled to appear in court on October 27, 2026. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Guelph Police Service spokesperson Scott Tracey said families can protect older relatives by staying involved in their finances. “If people are more aware and engaged with their older parents and in terms of what they’re spending money on and have that open relationship and an open communication, then I think it prevents them from becoming the victims of something like this or maybe catches it earlier before it gets to the unfortunate extreme it did in this case.”
Financial abuse is the most common form of elder abuse in Canada. Canadians aged 60 and older account for roughly 28 percent of total fraud dollar losses and lose an average of $21,000 per incident. About 81 percent of reported elder financial abuse cases are carried out by someone the victim knows, including spouses, family members, friends, or acquaintances.
