SALT LAKE CITY — The Attorney General’s Office has launched a Utah Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC) to identify, investigate and prosecute financial crime across jurisdictions and financial institutions.
“No one is too smart, too careful or too experienced to become a victim of fraud,” Attorney General Derek Brown explained during an Aug. 31 press conference on the step of the Utah Capitol Building.
“We have seen criminals prey on business owners, investors and even people who teach financial literacy for a living,” he added, “only to lose thousands to schemes built to exploit trust.
“These criminals are sophisticated and organized. They’re counting on us not being either. They’re wrong,” Brown promised.
The FCIC will bring together investigators, prosecutors, financial analysts and financial institutions to identify fraud patterns, connect related cases and support investigations that span multiple jurisdictions.
Rather than treating each report as an isolated incident, the FCIC will help to build a statewide intelligence picture to identify larger criminal networks operating in Utah.
First suggested by the Utah Fraud Prevention Coalition, the Utah Legislature established the FCIC in response to the rapid growth of financial crime across the state.
“Financial criminals are becoming more sophisticated,” according to Senate Majority Leaders Kirk Cullinmore (R-Dist. 19). “Utah must stay ahead of the threat.
“The Legislature created the Financial Crimes Intelligence Center to give law enforcement the specialized tools, expertise and coordination needed to protect Utahns and hold criminals accountable,” he emphasized.
State officials contend that Utahns have lost nearly $450 million to scams, fraud and other financial crimes since 2020.
In 2025 alone, reported losses reached $108.4 million. Utahns have already reported nearly $60 million in losses so far in 2026.
In addition to investigating and prosecuting financial crime, the FCIC will provide training and resources to law enforcement agencies and financial institutions; support local agencies with specialized financial crime expertise; and coordinate investigations involving identity theft, account takeovers, romance scams, elder fraud, crypto-currency schemes, money laundering and other financial crimes.
Brown’s office encourages anyone who believes they have been the victim of a financial scam to report it.
While not every report will result in a conviction, state officials acknowledge, every report helps investigators and analysts identify larger patterns and criminal networks. Utahns can report suspected financial crimes directly to the Financial Crimes Intelligence Center at https://fraud.agutah.gov