A Milwaukee-area family is searching for answers after thousands of dollars disappeared from an elderly woman's bank account in the months before her death and their efforts to recover the money have hit a wall.
Sheree Adams believes her mother, Betty Thomas, may have been the victim of financial exploitation.
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"It's been ongoing for 3 years," Adams said.
TMJ4 reviewed bank statements showing repeated ATM withdrawals from Thomas's account during a period when hospital records indicate she was receiving inpatient treatment.
"Numerous, numerous ATM withdrawals," Adams said.
By the time Adams froze the account, she says the balance had dropped dramatically.
"By the time I froze the account, there was $8,231 remaining. We were able to get that, but my mother had close to $60,000," Adams said.
Adams reported her concerns to police and asked BMO to reimburse more than $50,000 in disputed transactions. New Berlin Police told TMJ4 that information indicating the transactions may have been authorized was a significant factor in their decision. BMO denied the reimbursement request, concluding the disputed transactions were valid. The bank said it takes concerns about financial exploitation seriously but did not answer questions about its procedures for identifying unusual ATM activity.
Adams said the bank's explanation to her offered little clarity.
"The PIN. The PIN, the PIN, the PIN. That's, that's it. That's the only thing they could say — your mother shouldn't have given out her PIN number," Adams said.
Adams believes a person with access to her mother's information and bank card was responsible. Court records reveal who that person is, but TMJ4 is not naming them because no charges have been filed. The person maintains the transactions were authorized and did not respond to a request for comment.
Dinah LaCaze, with Adult Protective Services at Milwaukee County DHHS, said cases like this are not uncommon.
"Most financial abuse happens with someone that is trusted: a family member, a close friend, longtime caregivers. It's usually someone in a position of trust, financial advisors, clergy. We've seen the gamut of them," LaCaze said.
This case highlights a challenge experts say many families face: recognizing possible financial exploitation is one thing, but proving it can be much more difficult.
"Police and district attorney resources are rare. Prosecuting a financial exploitation case takes forever, a lot of detail, a lot of work from the office to put a case together to even do anything," LaCaze said.
Adams thought uncovering the withdrawals would provide answers. Instead, she discovered how difficult it can be to prove her mother was exploited.
"It's hard. It's hard," Adams said.
Court records show the Betty Thomas estate has filed a civil lawsuit over the disputed funds. The case has not been resolved.
"I'm hoping that at some point that we can all sit down and try to get this issue resolved," Adams said.
For families, experts say the takeaway is simple: if something doesn't look right, don't wait to ask questions. The sooner concerns are reported, the more options may be available.
"Call APS. We're your friend in the community. We want to come out with interventions, with resources. We want to make sure that you're connected to what you need to be connected to to protect yourself, to protect your family members," LaCaze said.
Experts recommend finding time to regularly review bank statements with aging relatives, talk about financial plans, and document who has the authority to make decisions.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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