West Valley City police, senior-center staff outline how seniors can avoid gift-card and investment scams

Chief Colleen Jacobs convened a virtual West Valley City community meeting to warn residents about scams that target older adults and to outline steps families and community organizations can take to reduce risk.

The session featured detectives from the police department's property crimes unit, Cindy Waters, director of the Harmon Senior Recreation Center, and video testimony from seniors who said they were pressured to withdraw cash and buy gift cards. "We're here to help you and address any problems you may have," Chief Colleen Jacobs told viewers at the start of the broadcast.

Detectives said common red flags include requests to pay with gift cards, tactics that keep victims on the phone and create a false sense of urgency, and instructions to avoid contacting family or friends. "If someone's trying to get you to pay them with gift cards, it is almost always a scam," one detective said, adding that law enforcement does not ask for payment by gift card.

A woman in the recorded testimony described being on the phone for hours and withdrawing cash: "I went to the bank and withdrew $1,700," she said, then followed instructions to mail a box before a family member intervened. Cindy Waters described a similar episode involving her mother and said frequent contact and an in-person check helped stop the scam. "He kept her on the phone for four hours," Waters said, adding that the pressure and isolation can wear victims down.

Panelists flagged investment fraud as particularly costly and cited a policing figure that $1,800,000,000 was lost to investment scams in 2024. Detectives said long-term schemes also occur, where scammers build trust through texts or calls over weeks or months before asking for money.

Speakers outlined practical steps families and caregivers can take: set bank alerts for suspicious transactions; involve trusted relatives or neighbors who can help verify requests; consider prearranged code words that confirm a caller's identity; and avoid sending cash or gift cards through the mail. "If you feel like your family member is being scammed, don't ask if they're being scammed—ask if someone is threatening them or trying to make them do something they don't want to do," a detective advised.

Senior-center staff described internal safeguards such as vetting outside presenters and prohibiting collection of members' phone numbers or addresses. They also encouraged reporting concerns to Adult Protective Services, which can investigate anonymously.

Detectives urged victims to contact their financial institution immediately to halt payments and then report the incident to police. They emphasized the importance of reporting even when victims feel embarrassed, because describing a scam can help protect others.

Resources mentioned during the meeting included the West Valley Police property crimes unit email, Federal Bureau of Investigation materials, the Federal Trade Commission website, and the AARP fraud hotline; presenters said links and phone numbers would be posted in the chat.

The meeting closed with a reminder that scammers often return to previous targets and that simple actions—hanging up, contacting family, checking with a bank—can stop many schemes. Chief Jacobs announced the next community meeting will be Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 12 p.m., when the department will discuss parking enforcement.

Sources: West Valley City Police Department community broadcast; video testimony from senior victims; statements from detectives and Harmon Senior Recreation Center director Cindy Waters.