CRESTVIEW — The Seniors vs. Crime office in Crestview is one of the places senior citizens can turn to for help if they have customer service issues with a company. The Crestview office gives free support to Panhandle residents from Okaloosa to further west in Leon County.
With its need for Crestview volunteers, though, that local ability to help Northwest Florida senior citizens could disappear soon.
Local Seniors vs. Crime volunteers, known as Senior Sleuths, reportedly have helped seniors recover thousands of dollars in the past year. JB Whitten, Crestview city council member and SVC volunteer, said these are some of the cases they've resolved:
•"An individual purchased a vehicle in Okaloosa County and with 13,000 miles on it; she had transmission problems. The dealership worked with her, but after five trips and a clutch replacement felt that they had done enough. She came to our office and our volunteers worked with the dealership and got the whole transmission replaced and a free rental car during the repair process (with) savings to our client of $4,000."
•A Walton County client "incurred $3,519.17 from a dentist who corrected poor surgery from a previous dentist. Our office recovered the total amount of money for her from the first dentist."
•Another Okaloosa resident "deposited $21,635 to have a house built, which was inadvertently sold to someone else. The builder refused to return her deposit until our office got involved and got them to refund the full amount."
The organization has about five to six cases per month. After volunteers discuss incidents with a client, they determine the validity. They then fix the situation right away in the office; refer the person to a more appropriate agency for help; or open a case file and take action for their client.
The SVC handles a variety of scams, but most cases are about used cars and sub-par work in or around their homes, according to Whitten.
Five or six clients a month may not sound like much, but there are three to four times that amount of seniors who don't seek help with scams and rip-offs, according to Whitten.
"My observations are based on what I hear from senior citizens when I conduct preventive presentations," he said. "I hear many citizens tell what they have been through but that they didn't contact anyone.
"That's why it is important to me to spread the word every chance that I have. I am always open to any group in Okaloosa and surrounding counties to visit them and discuss our free services."
—
FYI: Seniors vs. Crime is a Florida Attorney General's office program that has helped protect seniors from fraud since 1989. It partners with law enforcement and other organizations to provide comprehensive assistance.
WANT TO HELP? Contact Crestview Office Manager Sheila Parish, 306-3176, or Region 5 Deputy Director JB Whitten, 813-489-5657, to volunteer.
NEED HELP? Contact 306-3176, visit http://www.seniorsvscrime.com or call 800-203-3099 if you are a senior citizen who needs help fighting fraud.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: You can deter fraud as a Seniors vs. Crime volunteer