Why is my brother doing this?

I see what you’re saying. I think I’ve possibly projected a bit and leapt to an assumption that op’s Mother refuses to believe badly of her son. I still don’t think there is any point speaking to him. And no point trying to convince her mother of his games if she won’t see them. Financial abuse is a worry but if her mother is of sound mind then she has the right to do what she wants and clearly has done in the past.

Yes this 👆

“Hey mum I think he has got my phone number wrong as there are no missed calls - I’ll text him my number “

“hey mum he hasn’t updated my number has he”

Do a lot of ‘let’s both come back next weekend and help mum with X,Y,Z’ so you are proactively being seen to be cooperative.

I know you are LC, but you’re going to need to step up.

What you don’t want to do is get in a secret competition to please your mum. That can end with you running yourself ragged to please her while he does nothing but still manages to look good and make you look bad.
There was a sad lady on here a few years ago doing everything for her mum while he did nothing but turn up and scoop the glory.

Carry on supporting her as you have been, make sure you mention to her what you have done and are doing. Listen attentively to her needs and wants rather than doing to her what you think should be done. And nip false accusations in the blood by total transparency.

Consider using email to communicate between you with him cc in so he can’t stir or claim to be left out. It demonstrates you are doing all you can, communication wise.

It could be that he is trying to isolate her as part of a plan for ongoing or future financial abuse.

He sees her alone. He couldn't invite you, because you didn't answer.

He makes you look bad or difficult.

It will be easier for him to take from her if you are not there, or if he paints you in a negative light

In what ways did he fleece your parents OP? Was it when he was young? Or more recently when they were more vulnerable? Just wondering if there is a "golden child" situation, and if so how do you stand with your DM? Does she generally favour him over you? This will all be relevant as to how you bring it up with her.
This whole situation sounds potentially really worrying, if you think there is any chance he is trying to downgrade you and cousin in your mother's eyes. You must tell her what he is doing re the phone calls, but how is she likely to respond?🍀

Why do you think this is a good idea? Doing that leaves the way open to him entirely. He'll be free to do whatever he wants with the mother - coercion, financial abuse etc. As he has already wangled a lot of money from his parents in the past, he probably thinks he's struck the motherlode now his mother is on her own. His behaviour certainly points to that. OP and the cousin should both make it obvious that he's under observation and honesty with the mother is vital.

This!!

He is outright lying. Tell your mum this, and get your cousin to tell her too. What a dick

Sounds like a bog standard dickhead to me, I wouldn’t look for any deeper meaning.

You said you were already low contact with him so he obviously has previous.

Does your mum need help day to day? Who provides that if so? I would be concerned that this sets off spidey senses.

My SIL kept saying this about me to PIL. She’s never tried to contact me, but used to tell PIL I was ignoring her calls to keep her away from dh and the children (he has a phone too, which she never tried to call).

When we were all together one day (rare occurrence), MIL said she wished I would take SILs calls and I called her out on it. Said she hadn’t ever tried to call me, even showed my call log.

She burst into tears, PIL said I must be lying, now I am the devil.

Only call him out if you are sure your mum won’t immediately take his side.

I’m assuming she’s already told her Mum that she hasn’t had any missed calls? If not, then say by all means but it feels like the op is saying her Mum will automatically believe her brother (could be projection on my part there though). My family like to rewrite history to make it more palatable to them. Correcting them is largely futile. I leave them all to it.

The financial angle is a worry. I’m not sure there is anything you can do about that if your mother is of sound mind, op.

He’s either deliberately trying to make it seem that you are not speaking to him despite his efforts in order to make you look bad, or your mum is asking him if he has spoke to you/cousin & he’s just saying this rather than saying no, which is still a lie.

My PIL did this to us after our daughter was born last year. They totally disappeared from our lives but told the rest of DH’s family that it was us refusing to let them see us/baby, said they had been texting us both every day, emailing, calling, sending fb messages and that we had ignored them all. We found out eventually from his uncle & granda and were able to send screenshots of the total lack of messages, as in not a single one, no call history nothing, and we asked them to show us the messages they had sent given that clearly they had been sent to the wrong person. Fair to say they looked like fucking idiots when they couldn’t produce a single bit of proof. But, their lies made them the victim and us the villain while it lasted.

I would tell the mom. Secrecy enables him to do what he's doing and allows op to be the bad guy.

Its a crime. Have a read:

www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/health-wellbeing/relationships-family/protection-from-abuse/financial-abuse/

I wouldn’t bring it up with him. I’d keep as low contact as possible with him and every time your Mum mentions stuff like this just don’t reply and move the conversation on.

Haha great idea 😂 Obviously don’t really do this but the idea made me laugh

Yep.

It will be about ££££ - always is. He will either be fleecing her or getting the will re-written

Whats his situation? Why has he moved back to home town?

He likely wants to paint himself as a victim who wants relationships with family members and is being excluded. That way he gets your mums sympathy and she might take his side if he ever goes against you. Be direct with your mum, say he hasn't been in touch and you’re concerned about his motives in telling her he has and why he would want to manipulate her.

Obviously so he looks good and you two look like twats. He’s a manipulative arsehole. I imagine that’s not a surprise.