Utah News Dispatch
To fight elder fraud, a top Utah law enforcer is meeting with seniors around the state
Mark Hirata, an assistant U.S. attorney for Utah, gives out stress balls at the Midvale Senior Center on June 16, 2026. (Annie Knox/Utah News Dispatch)
Utah’s top federal prosecutor took the stage inside a senior center Tuesday to warn that artificial intelligence is helping scammers target older adults in increasingly sophisticated ways, impersonating their banks, the IRS and even their grandchildren.
Addressing the crowd of about 50 at the Midvale Senior Center, U.S. Attorney for Utah Melissa Holyoak said AI is “supercharging” scams.
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The Tuesday stop would be unusual for a high-ranking federal official if it weren’t one in a series Holyoak is making around the state. She’s already made the same pitch in 13 other Utah counties and plans to have hit all 29 come July, her office said.
She’s focusing on prevention to help turn the tide on skyrocketing financial losses to fraud targeting adults over 60.
Nationally, the total reported by victims in the age group climbed from $600 million in 2020 to more than $3 billion in 2025, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The change was driven in part by large individual losses of more than $100,000.
Holyoak was FTC commissioner from 2024 to 2025 and said she worked with the agency on the initiative to raise awareness in Utah. She said imposter and investment schemes are responsible for most of the financial damage, but romance scams are also common.
Speaking to the mostly gray-haired audience as they tucked into plates of meatballs and salad, Holyoak made a case for skepticism. She urged them to stay calm and ask for detailed information when someone calls or writes seeking financial information, including when the voice on the other end sounds urgent, legitimate or even like someone they know.
“They want you to be panicked, so that you will give them information, give them money, give them whatever you need to do to have this problem go away,” Holyoak said.
According to the FBI’s 2025 internet crime report, Utah ranks 27th for its total of losses reported by those over 60 years old, at nearly $66 million. Across all ages, Utah’s rate of complaints ranked 18th.
Mark Hirata, an assistant U.S. attorney, led the Midvale group Tuesday in a game of “fraud bingo” with squares containing warnings such as “Beware of random calls claiming you owe money” and “Ask to have information sent. Check it out!”
Sally Smith, 79, of Midvale, asked a question during the event about how people can prepare and protect themselves against AI scams. But her concern about the rapidly advancing technology and its effects on society, politics and everyday life are bigger, Smith said afterward.
“To me, it’s not just a matter of not clicking on it,” Smith said. “It’s, how do you know what is real or not real?”
The event followed a global day of awareness for elder abuse on Monday. For tips on protecting yourself from fraud and information about what to do if it happens, read the IRS warning about elder fraud.
