Fighting to Curb Elder Abuse and Fraud

Philip Marshall helped convict his own father in a high-profile elder abuse case involving Marshall’s grandmother—the New York City socialite and philanthropist Brooke Astor.

In 2009, a jury found his father, Anthony D. Marshall, guilty of fraud, conspiracy and other crimes for stealing millions of dollars from Astor. Philip Marshall’s fight to restore his grandmother’s wishes—as she was exploited by her own son while suffering from Alzheimer’s disease—transformed him into a crusader against elder abuse.

On Thursday, June 20, Marshall will share his personal insights and hard-learned lessons during an elder abuse forum hosted by AARP Maine in Bangor. Marshall will also talk about guardianship issues.

He became active on the issue to “help empower people to act,” he says, and to educate them about state and federal resources they can turn to in such cases. He hopes it will reassure people that “society has their back.”

Americans over age 60 lose an estimated $28.3 billion each year to financial exploitation, according to a new AARP report.

Marshall says there have been significant advances in curbing elder fraud since his grandmother’s case. One in particular is the Senior Safe Act, a 2018 federal law modeled on the Senior$afe program in Maine. The measure calls for training employees at banks and other financial institutions to detect and report suspected exploitation.

The AARP Maine event will be both virtual and in person. Maine Public Radio stations also plan to air a call-in program from the venue, featuring Marshall and other fraud specialists.

For more information or to access a recording of the program afterward, go to
states.aarp.org/maine/elder-abuse.

— Stacey Shepard