1.888.PAUSE TN or 1.888.728.7386 is the TBI Hotline

JACKSBORO, TN (SPECIAL TO WLAF)- On Tuesday, State Representative Dennis Powers (top photo) spoke to the First Baptist Church of Jacksboro Seniors about his Elder Financial Justice Bill he passed last year.

The bill:  Authorizes a financial service provider, or an officer or employee of the provider, that has reasonable cause to suspect that an elderly or vulnerable adult is the victim or target of financial exploitation, to convey the suspicion to the TBI’s elder financial reporting mechanism; requires the TBI to create an elder financial exploitation reporting mechanism that accepts reports from financial institutions. 

It is called the “TBI Hotline Bill” and went into effect on October 1 of 2024.  Powers intends to file a bill next year, which will require investigators and research analysts to be hired to go into the field and investigate each case.  Elder financial abuse, or “scamming”, is a reported 500-million dollar business now in Tennessee, and it is estimated to be double that amount because half of the cases go unreported. 

“This is what the Tennessee Bankers Association said about our bill,” said Powers.

The TBI Hotline is now receiving calls. Call 1.888.PAUSE TN or 1.888.728.7386. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-07/11/2025-6AM-PHOTO SUBMITTED)

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