Perth aged care worker accused of $14k shopping spree with clients’ money

A 28-year-old woman has been charged with fraud after she allegedly went on a shopping spree with the credit cards of elderly clients she was employed to take care of.

Police allege the care worker used the bank card details of three people to make purchases totalling more than $14,500.

They were alerted to concerns surrounding the woman and began an investigation that uncovered the alleged offending, which began last November.

The victims are all aged in their 60s and require permanent care, police said.

In one instance, the woman was caring for a 67-year-old man in Mount Lawley when she allegedly used his bank card without his consent to make online purchases to the tune of $12,000.

On another occasion, she allegedly used a 65-year-old woman’s bank card details to make online purchases worth $900.

And a 61-year-old Mount Lawley man lost $700 to the woman’s alleged online exploits.

The woman was arrested earlier this month and charged with three counts of gaining benefit by fraud.

She appeared in the Armadale Magistrates Court on August 21 and is next scheduled to appear in the same court on October 3.

Police are calling for any more potential victims to come forward.

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