How A Utah Man Scammed Friends And Family Out Of Millions

While Utah is known for many great things, its most noticeable downside is the number of scams that happen in the state.  

Scams happen everywhere and are a product of internet growth stemming from the early days of pop-up ads. However, an even older type of scam is super common in Utah and Utahns are more likely to fall for it.  

Affinity scams are a Utahns worst nightmare. It sucks to be scammed out of money in general but it's way worse when it's someone you know. Affinity scams tend to target members of the community, friends, and even family members of the scammer.  

Affinity Scams In Utah

Earlier in May 2025, Jerimiah “The Bull” Evans was sentenced for a huge affinity scam in Utah that cost his own mother, his friends, and others that fell for his con, $20 million. 

He held an AlphaCon in 2022 in Salt Lake City to present to investors for his business while portraying himself as a man who was succeeding by doing whatever he wanted, the Salt Lake Tribune said.  

Read More Here: New Utah Scam Uses This Tactic To Gain Access To You

While taking money from 500 investors for an Amazon drop shipping store from 2019 to 2022. Those investors never saw a cent back. Instead, Evans used the investments to buy cars and other luxury items further selling his “successful persona”.  

Some of his victims included a nurse going blind and needing some income, Evan's own mother who was being treated for breast cancer, a high school teacher and football coach, and even a recently divorced mother.  

Basically, the everyday people of Utah were the ones who suffered.  

But why are Utahns more likely to fall for affinity scams? 

Well, it's because of Utah’s tight-knit communities that affinity fraud is prevalent. This is not to say that communities in Utah are suckers, but rather that the inherent trust and close relationships make it an easy hunting ground for cons.  

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Adding to that, the LDS Church plays a role due to the fact that many scammers will use religious affiliation and the large religious communities to win people over.  

There are also not many agencies who regulate these things making it easier for those who wish to commit fraud to do so.