For at least the third time in just over two years, a 35-year-old London, Ont., woman is being sought by city police for allegedly defrauding and stealing from elderly residents while posing as a personal support worker (PSW).
Police say the most recent incidents were reported by members of the public between June 1 and Nov. 5 of this year in which it’s alleged the accused gained access to the victim’s apartments by posing as a cleaner or PSW.
Once in the residence, police allege the accused took credit and debit cards from the home along with cash.
“The debit and credit cards were used at various locations, and in viewing video surveillance, London police officers were able to identify the suspect in each of the cases,” police said Thursday.
As a result, Amanda Lee Rose Albert from London is being sought by way of an arrest warrant for multiple charges, including three counts of break and enter and theft, four counts of fraud under $5,000, four counts of use of credit card, theft under $5,000, and breach of probation.
Previous charges against Albert for defrauding elderly Londoners while pretending to be a personal support worker date back at least four years.
Albert was charged in June 2018 after police alleged she posed as a PSW, accessed two units of a seniors-only apartment building on Oxford Street West, and withdrew money using the residents’ credit cards.
More than a month earlier, Albert was charged after police alleged she had posed as a PSW, gained access to apartments in a seniors-only home, took residents to the bank under the guise of helping them, and then kept the money that was withdrawn.
Albert was sentenced to three months in jail and two years probation in January 2019 after being found guilty of breach of probation and theft under $5,000 in the Oxford Street West incident, and fraud over $5,000 in the other incident, court documents show. All other charges were withdrawn.
Albert and a man were also charged with several fraud and theft-related counts in September 2016 after a string of incidents between December 2015 and August 2016.
“The London Police Service wants to take this opportunity to remind all citizens, especially seniors, that any person entering your home to provide a service or any kind of assistance should be asked to provide identification to confirm that they are entering your home for a legitimate purpose,” police said in a statement.
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