Utah fraud losses hit $114 million in 2024 as phone scams surge.

Utah

Utah residents have lost approximately $114 million to fraud in 2024, marking the state's highest losses to date. The rise is attributed largely to imposter scams, where fraudsters pose as trusted entities such as banks or law enforcement to obtain personal information from victims. 

Experts note that these scams affect people of all ages, not just the elderly, and often involve tactics like isolating victims and requesting gift card purchases or bank transactions. In response, local coalitions and authorities are launching new resources, including a dedicated website, to help the public identify and avoid common scam tactics.

Utah fraud losses hit $114 million in 2024 as phone scams surge

Utahns are losing millions to phone scams and online scams each year. I'm Maiya Constantino and banks and law enforcement are coming together to figure out ways to stop this. It may sound like your bank or even law enforcement, but that voice on the other end of the line may not be who you think it is. The biggest thing that I'm seeing is imposter scams. He says that's when someone contacts you, pretending to be someone else. The consumer needs to take some kind of action, and usually that involves giving up some type of information, private information, usernames, passwords. And that's just one of many ways people are getting scammed these days. Charlene Wells, a chair for the Utah Fraud Prevention Coalition, says the problem's getting worse. Since 2020, Utah fraud losses have continued to rise almost like 20 to 30 million per year. Wells says the Federal Trade Commission shows that in 2024, Utah saw its biggest losses yet, about $114 million. It's not just elderly that are sucked in. It's everybody. Rob Wolhoff is a fraud consultant in Highland. We could add that to the list. Stop, you know, don't click on links. He helps small businesses and credit unions protect themselves from fraud. Wolhoff says scammers oftentimes isolate victims and asks that person to buy gift cards or make transactions at the bank. You know, one of your viewers perhaps was a teller at a bank or even a cashier at a retail location, and they see somebody talking on the phone while they're doing a transaction, oftentimes that can be an indication. He says these days, ignoring a number you don't recognize isn't cutting it anymore. You can't trust the caller ID. It is too easy to spoof a phone number to make it look like it's coming from a phone number that you recognize. If in doubt, hang up, look up the legitimate phone number. Wells says the coalition is launching a website, utahfraudpreventioncoalition.com, on Monday, where people can find what's trending and the warning signs people should look out for. In Salt Lake City, Maya Constantino, FOX 13 News, Utah.

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