What is C.A.S.E.?
C.A.S.E.,
Churches Against Senior Exploitation, is a program of the Weld
County District Attorney’s Office. Other jurisdictions have similar
programs which have proved to be very effective in preventing fraud
against seniors.
Why senior exploitation?
We find that senior citizens are often the victims of fraud
and other crimes for several reasons: they were raised in
a time when a handshake meant something, they trust
people and were taught to do what they
can to help others.
They are also more likely to own their own home, have little
or no debt and have access to their retirement funds. For
all of these reasons, seniors are prime targets for the scam
artists looking to commit fraud and
financial exploitation.
How does the program work?
It is very simple. The District Attorney’s Office will send
out Fraud Alerts once a month to your church or senior
group. If there is a scam that local police have become
aware of locally or if we have heard of a scam affecting
other areas in Colorado that we fear may be headed this
way, we will put together a Fraud Alert about it to warn
seniors ahead of time and hopefully prevent
their
victimization.
Who receives the Fraud Alerts?
Each month the newest Fraud Alert is emailed to more
than 100 churches and senior centers in Weld County.
These alerts are then posted in public areas, printed
and handed out, or emailed to seniors. Fraud Alerts
can also be downloaded from our web site at
www.weldda.com. If you would like to start receiving
Fraud Alerts, please provide the Community Relations
Director at the District Attorney’s Office with your
email address.
What else does C.A.S.E. involve?
The District Attorney’s Office also provides a C.A.S.E.
presentation to churches and community groups. This
presentation educates seniors about the types of fraud
most likely to be committed against them including identity
theft, sweepstakes and charity fraud, traveler fraud and
caretaker fraud. These presentations are available, at no
charge, to churches and senior centers. To schedule a
presentation, please call the Community Relations
Director at 970-356-4010 ext. 4702.
Fraud
Alerts
Jennifer Finch
Community Relations Director
(970) 356-4010 ext. 4702
JFinch@co.weld.co.us
