WHERE IT STARTED
FIRST SEEN: Recognised in law from 1987 · GOING FOR: About 40 years as a defined crime
Defined as a crime in the United States by 1987 amendments to the Older Americans Act; the first high-profile prosecutions of guardians and family members came in the 2000s (Brooke Astor case, 2007-2009).
Exploitation of older people's money by relatives, carers and court-appointed guardians was recognised in US law with the 1987 Older Americans Act amendments and by the Elder Justice Act of 2010. Two strands: 'elder theft' by trusted insiders (family, agents under powers of attorney, guardians) and 'elder scams' by strangers. Landmark cases include Brooke Astor's son Anthony Marshall (convicted 2009), Nevada guardian April Parks (sentenced 2019) and Florida guardian Rebecca Fierle (2023). FinCEN's 2024 analysis found banks flagged about $27 billion in suspicious activity linked to elder exploitation in a single year.
HOW IT WORKS
Insiders use the access they already have: a child or carer with a power of attorney drains accounts, changes wills, takes out loans in the elder's name or moves them to isolate them from other relatives. Professional guardians obtain court appointment over dozens of wards, bill their estates for services, sell their homes and restrict family contact. Stranger versions are the romance, tech-support, grandparent and bitcoin-ATM scams that target older adults. Banks are the main detectors, filing suspicious-activity reports when patterns change.
Sudden changes to wills, beneficiaries or powers of attorneyA new 'friend' or carer who controls access to the older personUnpaid bills despite adequate income, or unexplained withdrawalsGuardian or agent who refuses to account for spendingThe older person seems frightened, withdrawn or coached when discussing money
HOW USEFUL IT IS TO CRIMINALS
Insiders already hold the keys: a power of attorney or guardianship order gives legal cover, victims often cannot testify, and families discover losses only after death. Studies cited by the US Department of Justice suggest only about one in 44 cases is reported, and FinCEN's $27 billion in flagged activity dwarfs the handful of prosecutions.
THE DAMAGE IT HAS CAUSED
$27 billion
Elder financial exploitation flagged in US bank reports over one year — FinCEN, Apr 2024
FinCEN found about $27 billion in elder-exploitation-related suspicious activity in a single year (June 2022-June 2023), and the FBI recorded $7.75 billion in losses reported by over-60s in 2025. Guardianship cases such as April Parks' affected hundreds of wards who lost homes and contact with family; the non-money harm includes neglect, isolation and, in the Fierle case, death.
$27 billion Suspicious activity linked to elder financial exploitation reported by US banks in 155,415 filings, Jun 2022-Jun 2023 (FinCEN Financial Trend Analysis, Apr 2024)
$7.75 billion Losses reported to the FBI by victims aged 60+ in 2025 (201,266 complaints) (FBI IC3 2025 Internet Crime Report)
$4.8 billion Losses reported by victims aged 60+ in 2024 (FBI IC3 2024 Elder Fraud Report)
WHO USES IT MOST
MOST OF ALL: 🇺🇸 United States ▸
The US has the only large published measure (FinCEN's $27 billion in flagged activity), the Elder Justice Act, and the best-documented guardianship abuse prosecutions.
United States (FinCEN data, guardianship cases)United Kingdom (Court of Protection deputy cases)Japan (large elderly population targeted by 'ore-ore' fraud)Australia (Elder Abuse Prevalence Study)Canada (powers-of-attorney abuse)
GOVERNMENTS LINKED TO IT
No government is documented as using this method.
NOTABLE PEOPLE WHO USED IT — RANKED BY PROFILE ORDER (NOT BY AMOUNT)
#1 April Parks (A Private Professional Guardian LLC) CONVICTED (16-40 YEARS, JAN 2019)REPORT PENDING
Not fully published (hundreds of wards; restitution ordered) · 2011-2016
Las Vegas court-appointed guardian who exploited hundreds of wards, moving them from homes and billing their estates; Nevada's largest elder-exploitation case.
SOURCE: Nevada Attorney General, Jan 2019; 8NewsNow
#2 Rebecca Fierle CONVICTED (NO-CONTEST PLEA TO NEGLECT; 4 YEARS' PROBATION, JUL 2023)REPORT PENDING
About $4M billed to a hospital system, 2009-2019 (double-billing found by audit) · 2009-2019
Orlando professional guardian who billed AdventHealth about $4 million for 600 wards and placed a do-not-resuscitate order on a ward who then died; her case changed Florida guardianship law.
SOURCE: Orlando Sentinel via Yahoo News, Jul 2023; CBS12
#3 Anthony D. Marshall CONVICTED (1-3 YEARS, DEC 2009)REPORT PENDING
Unauthorised raise to about $1M a year; $82M managed since 1977 · 2001-2006
Son of philanthropist Brooke Astor convicted of grand larceny and conspiracy for exploiting his mother's dementia to alter her will and pay himself.
SOURCE: New York Times, 8 Oct and 21 Dec 2009 (via Wikipedia pointer)
SOURCES
FinCEN, 'Elder Financial Exploitation: Threat Pattern & Trend Information', Apr 2024
FBI IC3 2025 Internet Crime Report and 2024 Elder Fraud Report
Nevada Attorney General, sentences of April Parks and co-defendants, Jan 2019
8NewsNow, April Parks sentenced in Nevada's largest elder exploitation case, 2019
Orlando Sentinel via Yahoo News, Rebecca Fierle sentenced to probation, Jul 2023
New York Times, Anthony Marshall convicted (8 Oct 2009) and sentenced (21 Dec 2009)
CFPB / interagency statement on elder financial exploitation, Dec 2024