SACRAMENTO – In the introduction to his daily broadcasts of “For the People” on KVNU, host Jason Williams plays a recording that cites Utah as “the fraud capitol of the world.”
That recording goes on to say that Utah seemingly deserves that title “not because we have more people committing fraud, but because so many people are falling for it.”
Does Utah really deserve that dubious distinction? Apparently not, as least as far as incidents of so-called “confidence/romance fraud” are concerned.
That’s the conclusion of a recent nationwide study by Summit Defense Criminal Lawyers, a California based law firm, of so-called confidence/romance fraud cases per complaint throughout the United States.
In general terms, Williams’ intro to “For the People” stands the test of time, because the incidence of all types of fraud cases are always on the rise in Utah.
In the first two quarters of 2024, all types of fraud cost Utahns $55.2 million, based on data complied by the Federal Trade Commission.
That was up from $36.4 million during the same period in 2023, $32.6 million in 2022 and more than double the losses from fraud reported in 2021.
But the researchers at Summit Defense chose to limit their study to examining internet-related fraud complaints to identify the percentage of confidence/romance fraud relative to total scams.
Viewed through that particular prism, Utah came out not as first but only as eighth in the nation among states where its safer not to fall in love with internet strangers.
The Summit researchers found that Utahns were victims of 130 confidence/romance scams out of a total more than 5,000 fraud cases reported, with losses per claim still averaging nearly $53,600 each.
Joining Utah in the list of top ten states for online confidence/romance fraud, in descending order, are New Jersey, Kansas, Montana, California, New York, Minnesota, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
“The financial impact (of confidence/romance scams) varies by state,” according to a Summit spokesperson, “with some areas experiencing larger loses per incident despite fewer total complaints.
“This suggests that some regions are selectively targeted with higher-value scams.”
For example, authorities in California report nearly 2,000 cases of confidence/romance fraud, with total losses exceeding $114 million.
A confidence/romance fraud case is when a scammer creates a fake online persona to gain a victim’s trust and affection, then uses that fabricated relationship to manipulate them into sending money, personal information or other valuable items.
The scammer often creates elaborate stories about financial hardships or emergencies, all while pretending to be in a romantic relationship with the victim. Essentially, they exploit the victim’s trust built through the illusion of love to steal from them.
“As these scams evolve,” the Summit spokesperson emphasized, “individuals must remain cautious when engaging with strangers online, especially when money is involved.”
For additional information about this study, go online to https://summitdefense.com/.