The Utah Attorney General's Office has launched the Utah Financial Crimes Intelligence Center to combat increasingly sophisticated financial scams and fraud across the state. The new initiative, established by the Utah Legislature, follows a period of significant financial loss for residents, with nearly $60 million in losses reported so far this year and $108.4 million lost in 2025 alone.
A Statewide Response to Fraud
The Utah Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC) serves as a dedicated, statewide team designed to identify, investigate, and prosecute financial crimes across various jurisdictions and financial institutions. The center was established by the Utah Legislature in response to the rapid growth of financial crime throughout the state, a move first brought to the attention of the Attorney General's Office by the Utah Fraud Prevention Coalition.
Rising Financial Losses
According to the Utah Attorney General's Office, the necessity for the FCIC stems from the significant financial impact of scams on Utah residents. Since 2020, Utahns have lost nearly $450 million to various forms of fraud and financial crimes. Beyond the $108.4 million lost in 2025, officials noted that residents have already reported nearly $60 million in losses during the current year.
Targeting Sophisticated Criminals
Attorney General Derek Brown stated that the center is necessary because criminals are becoming more organized and sophisticated. Brown noted that no individual is immune to these schemes, regardless of their experience level, stating that criminals have preyed on business owners, investors, and even financial literacy educators. He remarked that these criminals rely on the assumption that law enforcement will not be as organized as they are.
Building Intelligence Networks
The FCIC is designed to move away from treating reports as isolated incidents. Instead, the center aims to build a statewide intelligence picture to identify larger criminal networks operating within Utah. By bringing together investigators, prosecutors, financial analysts, and financial institutions, the center intends to connect related cases and identify fraud patterns that span multiple jurisdictions.
Legislative Objectives
Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore emphasized that the legislature created the FCIC to provide law enforcement with specialized tools and expertise to keep pace with evolving threats. Cullimore stated that by coordinating resources, the center aims to make Utah a much harder place for financial criminals to operate while providing a capable team to fight on behalf of victims.
Collaborating with Financial Institutions
For financial institutions like banks and credit unions, the FCIC acts as a centralized reporting and coordination hub. The center encourages these institutions to report suspected or confirmed activity, noting that institutions often see patterns—such as unusual transaction activity or account takeover attempts—that individual consumers may not notice. The information provided to the FCIC is aggregated, analyzed, and shared with law enforcement across the state.
