Financial Abuse

People are more vulnerable to financial abuse when they have to depend on family or carers for help with spending or managing their money.

Financial abuse happens when someone else:

• Uses your money without your knowledge or permission
• Promises care or services in exchange for money or property
  
• Threatens to withdraw care or services unless you give them money or property
  
• Makes decisions about how to spend your money without asking you
  
• Gets you to sign documents you do not understand such as a deed, a power of attorney or a will
  

You can ask us for help if you are worried that someone else has control over your money without your permission.

Our people are trained to recognise situations like financial abuse. Even if you are in an office accompanied by someone who you no longer trust, we may be able to recognise the situation.

Telling any of us that you are concerned may mean we can take action to safeguard your money. The most important thing is that you talk to someone.

If you are concerned that a family member or friend has lost control of their money to someone they don’t trust, please let us know. The best placed to start is to contact us at the customer’s local EBS office, where we can talk in private if needs be.

Fraud is a crime. It’s where someone gets money or property from someone else by deceiving them. Fraudsters use isolation, fear, confusion and misdirection. They may make you feel that you do not have a say but you should never feel like you can’t have a say in your affairs.

If you think you have been a victim of fraud or have noticed any unusual activity on your account you should contact us immediately. You can take steps to protect yourself from fraud by doing the following:

• Stay in control. Take your time. If you are rushed, you may make a decision you will regret
• Be alert to unexpected or unsolicited emails, telephone calls or texts. Take your time to check that the person is who they say they are
  
• Never give anyone details such as your full banking passwords, PIN, codes or login details.
  

We will never ask customers to provide their EBS Online Banking Personal Access Code (PAC) through email or links in an email. Also, we will never ask for EBS debit card details through email or links in an email.

The Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) have a useful guide that provides advice on safeguarding your money and protecting yourself from financial abuse available here.

Financial abuse can take many forms and can take place in relationships where one partner takes advantage of another. Women’s Aid is the national organisation providing support and information to women experiencing domestic violence through its Direct Services. It runs the only free, national, domestic violence 24hr helpline (1800 341 900, 24 hours, 7 days) with specialised trained staff & volunteers, accredited by the Helplines Partnership and with a Telephone Interpretation Service covering 170 languages for callers needing interpreting services as well as a Text Service for Deaf and Hard of Hearing women. Women's Aid also offers a Dublin-based One to One Support Service and Court Accompaniment.