A Marion County sheriff’s deputy and an official from the Florida Department of Children and Families were called to a Villager’s home Wednesday after a man noticed unauthorized charges on his debit card.
According to a sheriff’s office report, the man, who lives in the 17800 block of SE 91st Freedom Court in the Village of Springdale, said he had hired a woman to provide home health care about three months ago. The man said the woman had worked for a home health care service, but after she quit, he hired her outright to continue taking care of his needs.
The man told the deputy and the DCF official, who were investigating a possible case of exploitation of the elderly, that part of the woman’s job was to buy groceries for him, so he provided her with his debit card. But he said after reviewing recent bank statements, he noticed charges he didn’t authorize. The man said the fraudulent charges started Feb. 12 and ended May 15.