Tiverton woman arrested after allegedly taking advantage of 86-year-old elderly client

Police have charged a local woman after they say that they acquired evidence that she robbed an elderly client.

According to Little Compton Police Chief Scott Raynes, an in-home caregiver service reported concern about two separate unauthorized credit card transactions that were discovered on an 86-year-old elderly client’s credit card statement. Investigators discovered that on June 27, 2022, two separate $200 payments were made from the elderly client’s credit card to a PayPal account. These transactions were not authorized by the client or her Power of Attorney/Health Care Proxy.

Investigators obtained court authorized search warrants for PayPal account information and credit card account information. This information coupled with inquires of IP addresses used to perform the two transactions resulted in the identification of a suspect. It was later confirmed that the suspect was currently employed by the in-home healthcare service and was indeed a care provider for the victim.

Investigators were then able to obtain an arrest warrant for 43-year-old Nicole M. Piker, of Tiverton, RI.

On Thursday, Piker turned herself into the Little Compton Police Department and was charged with Exploitation of an Elder and two counts of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card.

Piker was arraigned by a Justice of the Peace and released with a future Newport County District Court date.

Chief Raynes urges anyone who has elderly relatives and friends who may have employed Piker in the past, to please reach out to them and confirm that they are not victims of any exploitation.