She cleaned 90-year-old woman’s house and was starting to clean out account, police say

A Jamestown woman has been arrested on suspicion of passing fictitious checks and embezzling money from a 90-year-old woman, Sonora police report.

Joy Cawaling Haley, 59, was hired as a housekeeper for the woman, from whom she then stole checks, police said in a news release. Over two months, Haley embezzled well over $3,000 from her employer, the release said. It was not immediately clear whether Haley had worked for her further back than the two months.

The alleged victim called the Sonora Police Department on Monday to report suspicious activity with her checking account. The resulting investigation led an officer to locate Haley at her Jamestown residence and arrest her on two felony charges.

Information was not immediately available from Sonora police Wednesday morning on whether Haley had other housekeeping clients who are being contacted.

The American Bankers Association offers tips to protect the elderly from financial abuse:

• Lock up your checkbook, account statements and other sensitive information when others will be in your home.

• Get to know your banker and build a relationship with the people who handle your finances. They can look out for any suspicious activity related to your account.

• Check references and credentials before hiring anyone. Don’t allow workers to have access to information about your finances.

• You have the right not to be threatened or intimidated. If you think someone close to you is trying to take control of your finances, call your local Adult Protective Services or tell someone at your bank.

Learn more at www.aba.com/consumers/pages/protectingtheelderly.aspx.

This story was originally published November 28, 2018 at 9:00 AM.