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Fraud Prevention
District Attorney Carol Chambers is committed not only to aggressively prosecuting perpetrators of crime, but is equally committed to preventing these crimes where possible. The District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Bureau oversees a comprehensive program to educate and assist consumers. The program has four elements:
1. CONSUMER PROTECTION SEMINARSAll seminars are free to the public and are conducted by the District Attorney’s Director of Consumer Protection. Approximately 400 consumer protection seminars have been conducted since the program was launched. To schedule one of the following seminars for your organization, call the Consumer Protection Assistance Line, 720-874-8547. This is My Identity
Attendees receive a free Identity Theft Handbook. Safe Communication Learn the safest way to use the Internet, including on-line purchases, on-line banking, security software, etc. Learn what to do and not to do on the phone, how to stop telemarketing calls, and how to spot scams. Learn how to reduce the amount of junk mail flooding your mailbox. See examples of the most common scams being promoted over the phone, Internet and through the mail. A free Safe Communication Handbook will be given to each attendee. Safe At Home/Safe On the Street How secure is your home? Do you know how to protect yourself when you are out in public? Learn how to significantly reduce the risk of someone invading your home or accosting you on the street. In this program you will learn how to think like a criminal and then use that knowledge to defeat criminals. Free Safe At Home/ Safe On the Street Handbook for each participant. Understanding Senior Fraud This seminar explores the dynamics of senior fraud. Why are seniors a favorite target of criminals? What makes seniors more vulnerable to financial exploitation? Who are the people who target seniors, and what is their motivation? How can I protect the seniors in my life? The seminar is designed for people who work with seniors and family members who want to protect their loved ones. A free Understanding Senior Fraud Handbook is provided for each participant. Keeping Your Business Safe A seminar for business owners and executives that teaches how to protect the business, the employees and the clients/customers. Each participant gets a free copy of the Keeping Your Business Safe Handbook. The Wise ConsumerThis seminar covers a wide range of consumer issues, both fraud issues and common traps people fall into. (NOTE: The entire Wise Consumer Seminar is three hours in length. If there is insufficient time for the entire program, one or more topics can be selected to meet your time requirements.) Some of the topics to be discussed include:
Attendees will receive a free Wise Consumer Handbook. 2. CONSUMER ALERTS When the District Attorney’s Office uncovers a scheme or scam operating in this area, a CONSUMER ALERT is issued. The alerts are sent via e-mail to the over 500 community organizations that have enrolled in the CONSUMER ALERT Program. CONSUMER ALERTS potentially reach over ½ million residents through these community organizations. Each organization designates a member who receives the CONSUMER ALERT and agrees to distribute the information to the members of the organization. If you would like to enroll your organization in the CONSUMER ALERT Program, call the Consumer Protection Line at 720-874-8547. Due to technical limitations, we cannot accept enrollment for individuals, only service clubs, faith communities, businesses, HOA’s, etc. 3. CONSUMER PROTECTION LINE The District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Line, 720-874-8547, is available to anyone who has a fraud-related problem or question. The help line has assisted over 4,000 consumers with issues ranging from identity theft to mortgage fraud, from home improvement fraud to internet scams. 4. MEDIA OUTREACH In addition to e-mail distribution, the District Attorney is providing CONSUMER ALERTS with the cooperation of various media outlets in the Denver Metro Area. Watch for these alerts on Channel 7’s 4:00 newscast; Rick Crandall’s Breakfast Club Program (Thursday mornings) on KEZW, 1430 AM; and in various community newspapers. And in a unique partnership, the District Attorney’s Office, Aurora Public Access Channel 8 and Curbside Data Control (a private business) have produced a 30 minute DVD on Identity Theft at no cost to the taxpayer. The DVD titled “Identity Theft: Real Problems…Real Solutions” has been shown on several public access stations in the Denver area. Copies of the DVD are available to libraries, faith communities, and businesses for a $5.00 charge. Call the Consumer Protection Line, 720-874-8547, to order your copy.
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