Utah commerce official highlights Scamalot campaign to warn seniors about online companionship scams

Katie Haas, director of the Division of Consumer Protection at the Utah Department of Commerce, described the department's Scamalot campaign and warned that scams seeking companionship or romance often target senior citizens.

Haas said the campaign, accessible at scams.utah.gov, uses characters such as the "Knights of Scam" and a new character called Queen Trust Worth to raise awareness and encourage people to "think a little bit before they act." "We've just launched a ... new queen, queen trust worth. And she's there to help protect, particular senior citizens," she said.

The campaign matters, Haas said, because many victims are seeking friendship or companionship rather than romance. "We have a loneliness epidemic right now, and so lots of people are looking for somebody to connect with," she said. That vulnerability, she added, can make otherwise cautious people overlook warning signs.

Haas listed common red flags to watch for: how a contact was initiated (a random email or unsolicited text), requests to pay for travel to visit, a refusal to meet in person, unusual payment requests such as cryptocurrency and rapid declarations of affection or "love bombing." "If they're asking you to pay for their trip to The United States to come see you finally or if they're unwilling to ever really meet you in person, those types of things are the beginning of the red flags," she said. She also warned that the use of cryptocurrency for payment can be a signal that a request is fraudulent.

Haas said scammers are using increasingly sophisticated tools, including artificial intelligence, to harvest personal details and exploit vulnerabilities. "They're very good at what they do, they're incredibly sophisticated," she said. "When you start a conversation with somebody, they're looking for those little nuggets ... they can use to figure out your vulnerabilities."

On how families should respond if a loved one appears to be involved in a scam, Haas advised calm, supportive conversation rather than alarm. She described a personal example of reacting strongly when her mother called about a tech scam and said that a panicked response can discourage future outreach. "We need to check our emotions and be the stable rational thinker and then help them walk through some of those flags," she said.

For more information, Haas invited listeners to visit scams.utah.gov for resources on common scams and guidance on helping family members who may be targeted. The segment was sponsored by the Utah Department of Commerce.