MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A man is facing charges after Memphis Police say he stole thousands of dollars from a 71-year-old man.

On January 9, the Royal Retreat Client Manager and the 71-year-old victim filed a report with the Memphis Police Department. The victim told officers that he observed fraudulent activity in his bank account.

According to reports, between November 30 and January 8, three checks had been written without his permission and cashed at Bank of America. There were also several unauthorized transactions on his bank card, which he did not have in his possession.

The victim told MPD that Charles Norvell visited him at Royal Retreat and told him that he would be taking care of him. Norvell claimed that his mother used to look after the victim, but she passed away, so he would be taking care of him.

The victim stated that he did not give Norvell permission to take money out of his account. Bank statements provided showed that the total of fraudulent transactions totaled $37,370.34.

Investigators obtained records and video from Bank of America. Records showed that all three of the checks were deposited into Norvell’s bank account. Footage revealed that Norvell was also using the victim’s bank card.

Liz Dayton, the Associate Vice President of Home Health Services with Meritan, said, unfortunately, cases like this happen more often than many realize.

“And a lot more frequently than it is posted on the news. This gets news attention because it’s a larger number,” she said.

She said while phone scams are usually the number one scams for seniors, false befriending where someone acts as a caregiver with not the best intentions happens too. 

“Aging causes changes in vision and the ability to see different numbers. Sometimes it’s very hard to read bank statements and it makes our elders even more and more vulnerable to financial crimes,” Dayton said. “It’s not just at the end of the day the numbers of the finances that take a toll on them, but it takes a larger toll and we need to be more proactive in protecting the quality of life of our elders.”

Norvell was identified in a six-person photo lineup. He was charged with the Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000 and Financial Exploitation of an Elderly/Vulnerable Person. He is set to appear in court Wednesday morning.

For resources on how to spot potential senior financial exploitation, click here.