(MENAFN- News Direct) > A former Wells Fargo employee has been indicted on charges of allegedly stealing more than $26,000 from the account of an Oregon woman in her 90s.

According to a Multnomah County indictment, Brittany Monique McLaughlin faces 20 counts, including aggravated theft, aggravated identity theft and first-degree theft.

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The victim, Bernadette Richardson, died in 2023. It wasn't until her brother began sorting through her finances that the family noticed irregular withdrawals. His daughter Leah Dieringer said the discovery came after she reviewed bank statements tied to the estate.

"My dad was in charge of all of her estate," Dieringer told KGW8 News . "After she passed away, my dad was able to get all of her banking information sent to him. He hands me the statements, and I see this name Brittany McLaughlin attached to it. I'm like, what is this name? He's like, I have no idea who that is."

The discovery

When Dieringer combed through her late aunt's bank statements, she spotted repeated payments for car loans, insurance, utilities, PayPal transfers and cash withdrawals - none of which had anything to do with her aunt's life.

Although Wells Fargo eventually reimbursed the family about $13,000, the bank hadn't flagged the suspicious activity as a concern at the time.

Prosecutors say McLaughlin used Richardson's personal information to make more than a dozen fraudulent transactions over several months. Dieringer said she believes her aunt's information was first compromised when she called Wells Fargo for help with online banking and the employee on the other end took advantage.

“To find out that someone had taken this money from someone who was older, just took advantage of them, it's horrific," Dieringer said.

The case highlights a larger problem: financial fraud against seniors is on the rise. Older Americans are often targeted because they tend to be more trusting, financially stable and less likely to spot irregularities in their accounts.

According to the FBI , seniors reported $4.8 billion in losses to scams in 2024.

"Every number in this report represents a real person, a victim whose trust was betrayed, whose financial security was compromised and whose voice deserves to be heard," said Christopher Delzotto, section chief of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, during a conference call.

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Protecting yourself and loved ones from fraud

McLaughlin now faces an arrest warrant out of state.

"Our thoughts remain with Ms. Richardson's family and we take this matter seriously,” A spokesperson for Wells Fargo said in a statement.“The employee has not worked at Wells Fargo since 2022 and we have cooperated with law enforcement in their investigation. We are reviewing the family's concerns and do not have an update at this time."

Scams don't always come from faceless hackers overseas. Sometimes the risk is much closer to home, even inside the very institutions entrusted to protect your money.

If you're managing the finances of an aging parent or relative, build habits that make fraud harder to miss. Review statements line by line, set up fraud alerts and consider having a second family member receive copies of monthly statements. Keep a log of every call with banks or service providers so you have a paper trail.

If you spot something that feels off, report it immediately. Protecting your family's financial legacy means being proactive because once the money is gone, the stress and paperwork to recover it can linger long after.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

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