SALT LAKE CITY – In the pre-recorded introduction to his daily “For the People” broadcasts on KVNU, host Jason Williams cites Utah “as the fraud capitol of the world, not because we have more people committing fraud, but because we have so many people falling for them.”
Unfortunately, a recent study illustrates why that that dubious reputation won’t be going away anytime soon, at least as far as Utah’s growing population of senior citizens are concerned.
That research by analysts at Protect My Data found a widening gap in how various states are protecting or failing to protect their senior populations, with Utah ranking as the second worst of all 50 states.
Ironically, news of those findings was released on May 15, which is recognized as National Senior Fraud Awareness Day.
“Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting seniors because they often rely on trust, urgency-based communication and digital tools that can feel unfamiliar or overwhelming,” according to Peter Nguyen, a privacy expert at Protect My Data.
“What we are seeing in the data is not just a rise in attacks, but a rise in sophistication. Scams are becoming harder to spot, even for cautious users.”
In the nationwide study based on internet crime statistics compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Utah ranked second worst overall, exceeded only by Arizona.
That makes Utah one of the states where seniors face the highest levels of cybercrime exposure in the country. The state recorded 398.12 senior cybercrime victims per 100,000 residents in 2025, placing just behind Arizona.
Utah also recorded the highest financial losses in the study, with cybercrime losses reaching $17.53 million per 100,000 seniors.
The number of victims increased by 32.79% compared to 2024, highlighting a growing threat to older residents across the state.
The internet researchers say Utah’s high ranking reflects the growing sophistication of scams targeting older Americans, particularly as more financial activity, healthcare access and communication move online.
The Protect My Data analysis is based on FBI Internet Crime Report (IC3) data across U.S. states. The number of cybercrime victims per 100,000 senior residents and total financial losses per 100,000 seniors were calculated. Year-over-year percentage changes between 2024 and 2025 were also included to measure how risks are evolving over time.
Fraud prevention nowadays depends as much on awareness as it does on technology, Nguyen explains.
“Simple habits like verifying unexpected calls, avoiding urgent payment requests and using multi-factor authentication can make a real difference,” he emphasizes.
“But the bigger issue is education. Seniors need clearer guidance on how to recognize that legitimate institutions will never pressure them into immediate financial decisions online.”
Along with Utah and Arizona, the states of Nevada, Colorado and Maryland rounded out the top five worst states for senior fraud.
Nevada reported 384.10 victims per 100,000 seniors, Colorado recorded losses exceeding $15.8 million per 100,000 seniors and Maryland suffered a more than 40 percent increase in senior fraud in 2025.
Protect My Data is an online platform that specializes in safeguarding its customers’ private information from data brokers. That task is accomplished by having its experts do the slow, technical work of finding that data and removing it from the public realm.
Additional information about Protect My Data can be found at https://protectmydata.com/