Older adults are getting wise to the ways of thieves, thanks to several metro-area district attorneys.
Jefferson and Adams counties are joining the war on crimes against older adults that Denver and Arapahoe counties already are waging.
The main weapon is a program called Communities Against Senior Exploitation, or CASE, which strives to prevent crime by educating seniors and making seniors feel comfortable about filing crime reports.
“All of the district attorneys are going to be emphasizing protection and prosecution,” said Lisa Curtis, who started the CASE program three years ago in Denver.
With a U.S. Department of Justice grant, Curtis began partnerships with faith-based communities to deliver information on prevention and reporting.
The program, which is scheduled to spread nationally next year, combines seminars at churches, synagogues and community centers with materials, training and regular fraud alerts.
Curtis said Denver and Arapahoe counties have 450 community partners.
By year’s end, the number is expected to grow to more than 600 as Jefferson and Adams counties get up and running.
Seniors are particularly vulnerable to fraud, said Don Quick, district attorney in Adams County, which also is a Colorado Bar Association pilot site to train private-sector lawyers how to spot potential senior fraud.
“Seniors are living longer and more independently and they have more wealth,” Quick said. “This is a generation that doesn’t like to be suspicious and question people.”
About 80 percent of crimes against the elderly go unreported, according to national statistics, due to embarrassment or fear that the victims will be taken out of their homes.
While numbers of such crimes are hard to determine, Jefferson County District Attorney Scott Storey said identity theft and other fraud are rising among the general population.
Last week, Storey tested the program with a group gathered at the Evergreen Senior Resource Center.
“Three people came up afterwards and told me about fraud that they had not reported,” Storey said. “That tells me we’re on the right track.”
Among the two dozen attendees was Evagene Nelson, who said the advice was useful, such as not carrying a purse or Social Security card, checking out charitable organizations, and getting “no-call” and credit-card “opt-out” lists.
Since CASE was started last year, 120 presentations have been made in the 18th Judicial District, which includes Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties.
“The best way is to prevent it, if you can,” said spokesman Mike Knight.
For information or to report a crime against the elderly, call 720-913-9179 in Denver; 303-271-6931 in Jefferson County; 303-659-7720 in Adams County; and 720-874-8487 in Arapahoe County.
Staff writer Ann Schrader can be reached at 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com.