Elderly people are having their homes, benefits and savings stolen by their own relatives, charities have warned.

Tens of millions of pounds are thought to be pilfered by unscrupulous family members each year.

Kate Joplin of Help the Aged said: "It's an ongoing problem but we only ever see part of the picture. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of victims.

"Sometimes the elderly are not in a position to know they are being abused because of reduced mental capacity. Sometimes they are just hugely embarrassed."

Financial abuse can include the simple theft of money and possessions but sometimes involves more subtle pressure from family members who seek to withhold benefits or force elderly relatives into selling their homes.

Ms Joplin said care workers and professional staff need to be trained to recognise the signals of financial abuse, which can include changes in behaviour and buying habits.

"It's a sad reality that many abusers are family members, maybe not just a son or daughter, but quite often someone in a position of trust," she said.

The problem often goes unreported, with other relatives, friends and neighbours too embarrassed to "blow the whistle" if they suspect something is wrong.

Action on Elder Abuse said increasing numbers of people were contacting the charity's helpline to report financial abuse.

Policy manager Daniel Blake said: "The amounts of money are in the tens of millions of pounds being taken, stolen or defrauded from older people.

"We're not saying this happens in every family, but this is a wide-scale problem involving massive amounts of money that actually mean a lot to older people and has a severe impact on their quality of life."

© Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved.