Dear Quentin,
I was disabled for about 10 years. During that time a woman befriended me, and asked to move in. I needed no assistance, but she was homeless and I was alone. We agreed she would pay half the rent and utilities, which she did for a year.
She would “cash advance” my credit cards and ATM and tell me she had placed these funds in her bank for me. She would collect other sums of cash, and do the same. I also paid the entire food bill for two. All the while I was on heavy medications.
I knew I was being taken advantage of but she said if I stopped paying her half the bills, I would get nothing. So it went on that way for 10 years. She would keep track of the amounts and tell me the balances, but I was never allowed to withdraw any.
“‘She said that the money was in an account with her daughter who was investing it for me.’”
She had been mentally abusing me to the point I went to a hospital for rest. I was no longer impaired and thinking clearly. I had given her $40,000 or more. I asked firmly for $10,000 so I could buy a car. She laughed and said, “You really didn’t think you would get that back.”
She said the funds are in her daughter’s name. Aside from the cash advances, there is no paper trail. There was physical abuse if I complained. It is embarrassing to be conned. She told me no one will believe me because I saw a psychiatrist.
I was abused and conned in my home for a long time, and there are no witnesses. All I have are tape recordings where she sneers and says she lied about this to me. And repeated, “No one will believe me.” Will they be of any value to a lawyer?
Feeling Hopeless
Dear Feeling,
You were alone and vulnerable, and there is nothing to be embarrassed about. The most dastardly trick an abuser plays is to convince the victim that it is their fault. It’s not. I believe in you, and most importantly you have regained a belief in yourself.
She is a grifter. You are a survivor. You invited this woman into your home to help you, and instead she helped herself to your savings, and coerced you into handing over your money. You need to seek outside help. Writing this letter was the first step.
Contact …….
