How To Support Someone With Dementia If They Have Been Scammed
Compassionate guidance for responding if a person living with dementia has been scammed — covering immediate steps, recovery, and longer-term financial protection.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Finding out that someone you love who is living with dementia has been scammed can be shocking and distressing. It is important to remember that this is not a failure on their part — scammers specifically target cognitive vulnerability, and the tactics used are designed to bypass even careful, capable people. The focus now is on compassionate recovery, not blame, and on building better protection for the future.
Immediate steps
Move quickly, but stay calm and gentle with the person. Contact the bank straight away to report the fraud and ask about freezing the account or reversing the transaction — many banks have specialist teams for vulnerable customers who act faster than a general call line. Change any passwords the scammer may have obtained and, if remote access was given to a device, disconnect it from the internet until it can be checked. While handling these calls, keep reassuring the person this isn't their fault — scams are designed by professional criminals to fool intelligent, trusting people, and reacting with shock in front of them can cause shame or withdrawal that makes future scams harder to catch.
- Contact the bank's fraud line immediately — do not wait
- Do not tell the person they have been 'fooled' — frame it as an external problem you are solving together
- Collect and preserve any communications — messages, letters, call history
- Report to your national fraud reporting service
Longer-term financial protection
Options like a lasting power of attorney for finances, a trusted third-party arrangement with the bank, or lower daily transaction limits can meaningfully reduce future risk, but they touch on independence and dignity and should never be introduced as a unilateral decision. Involve the person in the conversation as much as their capacity allows, and get proper legal advice early, since capacity and consent rules vary and a document set up incorrectly can be challenged or cause family conflict later. Frame changes around a shared goal — 'let's set this up so nobody, including scammers, can move money without both of us knowing' — rather than as evidence the person can no longer be trusted with their own finances.
- Consider whether a Lasting Power of Attorney (or equivalent) is in place or should be arranged
- Speak to the bank about adding a trusted person to account notifications
- Review whether large sums can be moved to accounts with additional authorisation steps
- Contact a dementia charity for specialist financial safeguarding guidance
Looking after yourself and the person
Discovering that a parent or partner with dementia has been scammed often brings a tangle of anger at the scammer, guilt about not preventing it, and grief about what the incident reveals about their changing capacity. All of that is normal, and it's worth naming it to someone — a friend, another family member, or a carers' support line — rather than carrying it alone while also managing banks and paperwork. For the person who was scammed, keep reassurance simple and repeated rather than one long conversation, since they may not retain the details and re-explaining what happened can retraumatise them each time. Focus conversations on safety going forward rather than dwelling on how the scam succeeded.
- Acknowledge your own distress — this is a difficult situation
- Maintain the person's dignity: they are not at fault
- Keep communication calm and simple — repeated distress helps neither of you
- Seek support from carers' organisations if needed
Conversation script
“There was a problem with someone who contacted you — it was not your fault at all and we are sorting it out.”
“I have spoken to the bank and they are looking into it. You do not need to worry about anything — we are handling it together.”
“I am going to help make sure this cannot happen again. We are going to sort this out.”
Frequently asked questions
They keep engaging with the same scammer even after we intervene — what do we do?
This is a recognised pattern with dementia and scams. The person may not retain the memory of the intervention, or the scammer may have built a strong emotional bond. Practical blocking steps — changing the phone number, installing call-blocking software, redirecting post — may be more effective than repeated conversations. Speak to a dementia specialist for tailored guidance.
Should I involve the police?
Yes — report the scam to your national fraud reporting service. Even if individual recovery is unlikely, reports build intelligence that helps authorities identify patterns and pursue those responsible. It also creates a formal record that may be relevant if you later need to demonstrate a safeguarding concern.