Ahead of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Advocate Janine Williamson Featured in Congressional Quarterly, Reacts to New FBI Report on Elder Financial Exploitation
WASHINGTON, June 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With World Elder Abuse Awareness Day approaching on June 15, Janine Williamson, a leading advocate for elder fraud prevention and administrator of the Larry W. Cook Estate, is amplifying her call for action in a new CQ Researcher report on financial scams.
"We need stronger legislation to hold banks accountable for reimbursing their customers in cases of fraud," Williamson wrote in her CQ Researcher op-ed, "before more families, like mine, suffer devastating losses."
Williamson's op-ed coincides with the release of the FBI's latest Internet Crime Report, which reveals a staggering surge in elder financial exploitation. In 2024, there were 147,000 complaints nationwide -- a 46% jump from 2023. Total losses reached $4.8 billion, up 43%. Victims lost an average of $83,000.
In Virginia alone, the number of complaints increased 55%, with reported losses exceeding $106.5 million.
Williamson testified before the Virginia Senate and helped pass Virginia's "Larry's Law," named for her late uncle Larry Cook, a retired Navy commander from Herndon, Va., who lost millions to a phishing scam.
Williamson has since lobbied members of Congress -- including Senators Warren, Blumenthal, Kaine, Warner, and Rep. Beyer -- for stronger federal protections against financial scams.
"The FBI IC3 report highlights the need for bipartisan legislation, a federal fraud protection task force, to stay ahead of criminal behavior, and financial accountability of banks," Williamson said.
Williamson has been profiled in Bloomberg, USA Today, Yahoo! News, American Banker, NBC Washington, CBS Seattle, Law.com, and more. To learn more about elder financial exploitation and policy changes that can protect seniors, visit www.larryslaw.org or connect with Williamson on LinkedIn.
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View original content:SOURCE Larry W. Cook Estate