Idaho Forms Financial Fraud Working Group as Reported Losses Hit $88.7 Million
Idaho Governor Brad Little announced on October 26 that he has directed Department of Finance Director Salvador Cruz to convene a statewide financial fraud working group on November 17 to assess how Idaho can strengthen its response to financial crime. Boise, the state capital, is in Ada County. Idahoans reported $88.7 million in fraud losses to the FBI in 2025, a 75 percent increase from 2023.
The Governor's Financial Fraud Working Group will be led by Lt. Governor Scott Bedke, newly appointed U.S. Attorney John Shirts and Director Cruz, and will include law enforcement, prosecutors, banks and credit unions, senior advocates, state agencies and legislators. It will evaluate whether Idaho should adopt a more coordinated approach, including a statewide system for collecting fraud reports and a coordinated model for investigating and prosecuting cases.
Reported losses among Idahoans aged 60 and older more than doubled from 2024 to 2025, reaching $37.4 million — 42 percent of all reported fraud losses statewide. Idaho currently has no central repository for fraud reports and no statewide unit dedicated to investigating financial crime; investigations and prosecutions are generally handled by local law enforcement and county prosecutors, with some cases pursued by federal agencies.
"Financial fraud is a growing threat to Idaho families, and we need to make sure our systems are equipped to respond," Little said. The working group's findings will be delivered to the Governor ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：爱达荷州议会大厦（Boise）。Quintin Soloviev 摄，CC BY 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Idaho State Capitol in Boise. Photo by Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
