DAVIS COUNTY—Scams targeting older adults are on the rise with a total of more than $4.8 billion in losses from 147,127 complaints to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) in 2024. It’s not just in other cities, Davis County seniors are falling victim to scams as well.

“Our seniors built this community,” said Commission Chair John Crofts, who works with Senior Services. “They deserve to be protected, not targeted. The rise in scams and financial exploitation against older adults is unacceptable, and we will not tolerate those who prey on the vulnerable.”

There’s been a wave of fraud across the country, he said. “They’re starting to target our seniors. If you have a mother, father, grandfather, grandmother just be aware because they’re getting more and more clever.”

They even have people calling claiming to be a grandson in jail or some big story, and they need money immediately, Crofts said. “It’s pretty unfortunate. A lot of our seniors are having their savings and their checking accounts cleaned out.”

“It’s always been a part of our community,” said Davis County Health Department Director Brian Hatch. “The seniors are vulnerable when it comes to that especially with the technology changes. That has really opened the door.”

They might get a text and click on something, he said. “That’s hard because they don’t know. With AI they can record a voice that you recognize and say ‘this is your grandson and I’m in a jail in Mexico.’”

A lot of it is the loneliness of seniors, said Hatch. “They’ll find companions and someone will say they need money. Maybe they need it to get from where they are to come visit. Those types of things. So there’s a lot of financial fraud.”

Hatch said the health department is more about teaching awareness. “If you ever suspect that someone is being taken advantage of, call the police department and register a complaint and they can look into it. There’s a lot of fraud hotlines the state has too.”

The Health Department does have resources for Medicare fraud, he said. “We have our Senior Medicaid Patrol. They kind of work in that arena.”

It’s more about awareness that it’s happening, said Hatch. “It’s something of a big concern and our population is growing. That’s a portion of our population that is growing quickly.”

People fall prey to that just because they make it seem so real, he said. “If you put your voice recorded on Facebook or something, AI can now assimilate your voice and grab it then send it to your loved one and say ‘hey, I’m in trouble can you send me money?’”

According to the FBI here are some types of fraud to watch out for: 

• Romance scam: Criminals pose as interested romantic partners on social media or dating websites to capitalize on their elderly victims’ desire to find companions.
  
• Tech support scam: Criminals pose as technology support representatives and offer to fix non-existent computer issues. The scammers gain remote access to victims’ devices and sensitive information.
  
• Grandparent scam: A type of confidence scam where criminals pose as a relative – usually a child or grandchild – claiming to be in immediate financial need.
  
• Government impersonation scam: Criminals pose as government employees and threaten to arrest or prosecute victims unless they agree to provide funds or other payments.
  
• Sweepstakes/charity/lottery scam: Criminals claim to work for legitimate charitable organizations to gain victims’ trust. Or they claim their targets have won a foreign lottery or sweepstake, which they can collect for a “fee.”
  
• Home repair scam: Criminals appear in person and charge homeowners in advance for home improvement services that they never provide.
  
• TV/radio scam: Criminals target potential victims using illegitimate advertisements about legitimate services, such as reverse mortgages or credit repair.
  
• Family/caregiver scam: Relatives or acquaintances of the elderly victims take advantage of them or otherwise get their money.

Crofts offers these tips to not become a victim of fraud:

• Never share personal or financial information with unknown callers
• Be cautious of urgent requests for money or threats demanding immediate action
• Verify requests independently before sending funds
• Report suspicious activity immediately

“We must stand together, families, neighbors, financial institutions, and government, to identify and stop these scams before more people are harmed,” Crofts said. “If something feels wrong, it probably is. We want our seniors and their families to know they are not alone and that help is available.”

To report Medicare fraud call Senior Services at 801-525-5050. For financial fraud contact your local police department.