Utah residents lost more than $70 million in investment frauds in 1982-83 – and the bad experience should prompt the citizenry of this state and others to develop a healthy skepticism toward questionable financial ventures. No state has a corner of susceptibility to fraud schemes. of course. The United States Chamber of Commerce estimates that Americans lost more than $40 billion annually to frauds of various kinds. The joint Congressional Economic Consumer Committee puts the figure at $41 billion – about $3 billion in embezzlements, $4 billion in pilferage, and the remainder lumping all other frauds. In reporting Utah’s experience of the past year, State Attorney General David L. Wilkinson said the $70 million represents only the cases prosecuted by his office. Millions of dollars are lost in schemes handled by other law enforcement officers, he said. Many losses never are brought to public attention to avoid the embarrassment of publicity. Wilkinson suggests prospective customers ask themselves these questions when considering a specific investment: . Were you promised high profits and minimum effort? Were you pressured to sign a contract immediately? Were you told this was your last chance to sign up for this opportunity? Did the promoter refuse to answer certain questions or avoid specific answers? Was the salesman reluctant to give you a reference list or other investors to contact? Did the salesman discourage you from having your attorney review the contract before you signed it? If the answer is “yes” to any of these questions, Wilkinson suggests special scrutiny of the proposed investment. it pays to be cautious, especially when money lost on a bad investment often is lost forever.