Lawyers warn that a scammer could use falsified names and addresses to get legal document entitling them to take over the affairs of an another
The system for taking control of a person’s financial affairs is “wide open” to fraud, an investigation has found. It revealed that the application process for obtaining the document known as lasting power of attorney (LPA) has no routine identity checks or effective fraud controls. Labour said it was a “national scandal” and called for an urgent inquiry.
The scheme is intended to help manage the affairs of those who are vulnerable or seriously ill. The stamped paper documents can be checked by organisations such as banks and investment firms against a national register.
