Brother with learning difficulties has been sending an escort lots of money

[Frosty66612]

Discovered over the weekend that my brother who has severe learning difficulties has been sending an escort £1300 per month cash from his savings as she’s been telling him that she’s terminally ill and needs his help.
I’m guessing nothing can be done about getting this money back?
Feel so cross about it as she has clearly been taking huge advantage of him

Gosh what a terrible situation! If you have evidence then you can report her to the police.

OMG that is terrible. You can contact social services and the police as this is financial abuse of a vulnerable adult. If he does not have the mental capacity to make this decision then he has been taken advantage of. It also raises questions to the fact that she may also be doing this to others.

Please report this x

Report and prosecute

Thanks. Would the police be able to do anything though as he offered her the money when she said she was ill, and hes been giving it to her in cash. So upset for him

as others have said definitely report and get advice from social services and police about exactly how they can prosecute. How horrible to take advantage of someone like this.

Could she not just say he was paying her for her services though?

They can still investigate. Whether you get any money back is unsure, but she can still be prosecuted for abuse of a vulnerable adult if there is sufficient evidence and your brother does not have the mental capacity to make those decisions himself.

Report to the police. This could be fraud by false representation which is a criminal offence - unless she really is terminally ill!
www.burtoncopeland.com/news/burton-copeland-explain-fraud-false-representation

Was he having any services? (Sorry to ask)

Oh no, I imagine you wouldn't get the money back but definitely report !

Does he have a social worker?

Yes he was having sex with her from what I can gather. He does have mental capacity to make decisions for himself, but he has autism and some brain damage so he is far too trusting and doesn’t understand that people can lie or be bad

Yes - report it - its financial abuse - report to both the police and to your local borough safeguarding services (easily googleable) and will be on your local council website.

This is awful. I'd definitely report it to the police.

The escort sounds like a con woman, so the police may be able to deal with it from that angle. I don't know if that would get any of the money back, but it would hopefully stop her getting any more. It wouldn't surprise me if she's targeting other vulnerable people too.

On a more practical level, could someone else take over your brother's finances, or at least limit his access to ready funds?

Contact her yourself and tell her to stop this or you will call the police. Then call the police.

I would imagine that the police can investigate, and if she isn’t ill then this would be counted as fraud

Thanks - if she is ill then can nothing be done? She’s deleted her profile so can’t contact her myself

If she is terminally ill then fraud by false representation might not work but that doesn't mean there won't be other options. It is really important the police are made aware of this.

This is a grey area. There has been a lot in the media the last year or so and even threads on here, regarding adults with learning disabilities paying for sexual services. Should it be allowed or not, after all an adult has the same sexual urges regardless of there mental capacity.

It will come down to his mental capacity, his ability to understand the consequences (for example will he spend all his money not realising he needs it to pay for food bills etc).

It could be argued that the money payed was for the services. But how many services a month are we talking about. If it's twice then the money payed is obviously way too much. If it's 5 times a week it could be argued that's sufficient.

However, you know your brother. You know his mental capacity, his understanding etc. We don't. If you believe that he does not have the ability to make these informed decisions himself, that he has been taken advantage of, and that he is clearly vulnerable, then you need to report it.

As I said earlier, she may well be doing this to others too, who don't have a sister looking out for them. You are not only protecting your brother, you may well be protecting others.

I think you should definitely contact the police, clearly he has been taken advantage off (probably with an untrue sob story, but even if she is ill, why should she need financing by a vulnerable man).
The police can advise you on what you can do with this, - I suspect the chances of your brother getting his money back are slim, but at least it may stop another person being conned. She may even be known to the police for having done t his type of thing before.

On a more practical note, and sorry to be blunt, does your brother understand about safe sex etc. has he been putting himself in danger of STI's ?

I can imagine this is extremely distressing for you and your family, your poor brother. Some people are completely wihtout conscience have absolutley no qualms about scamming vulnerable people

If she is ill, and he has capacity, then I imagine nothing can be done, no.

It could be argued that the money payed was for the services. But how many services a month are we talking about. If it's twice then the money payed is obviously way too much. If it's 5 times a week it could be argued that's sufficient.

True,you'd have to look at how much he's paid vs 'services' rendered, but I'd say you're underestimating cost of an escort here. Something tells me a few hundred a pop isn't unheard of.

Your poor brother, op. I don't know what can be done. It's definitely important to get the police on it.

Sorry I'm asking a hundred questions here, you say in your opening post he has 'severe learning djfficulties' but then say he has the mental capacity to make decisions for himself.
Just trying to get a clearer picture- does he live alone, in supported living with 24 hour support, at home?

He’s given her just over 10k over 8 months (£1300 each time) and he was spending 5 hours with her each time