Seniors vs. Crime is a special project of the Florida attorney general. The project began in 1989 as a crime prevention program utilizing senior volunteers in educating their peers and promoting fellow seniors to become involved in their own protection. The project has now grown into a statewide organization that provides direct services to senior victims as well as continuing its educational component. The project has now become one of the most unique and successful volunteer programs in the nation in assisting and protecting senior citizens.
The primary mission of the Seniors vs. Crime project is to reduce the victimization of senior citizens who are targeted for specific crimes or scams based on their age.
“Even though we were retired, we wanted to stay active and looked for ways to make a difference in our community,” said Rosanne Pogash. “We read about a group that was charged with helping people who might have been scammed or who have had disputes with businesses, contractors or salespeople and needed some help in resolving issues. That led us to volunteer with a statewide group, Seniors vs. Crime.”
Couple Rosanne and Bill Pogash felt that by working with people who have lost, in some cases, thousands of dollars, they could help others settle disputes and, in some cases, resolve financial hardships for their individual cases.
“Individuals contact Seniors vs. Crime by completing an online complaint form at www.seniorsvscrime. com or calling 800-203-3099, and those forms are distributed to one of the Seniors vs. Crime offices located across the state,” Rosanne said. “Our Region 2 Office is in Sun City Center at 946 Cherry Dr., Ste. A, next door to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s substation. Our office is staffed on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to Noon, and walk-ins are always welcome.”
The Pogashes feel the best part of volunteering with this group is when they can actually help people get restitution after they have been wronged in some way.
“We act as an intermediary between the complainant and the company,” Rosanne said. “In many cases, after we represent that we are volunteers for a special project of the Florida attorney’s office, reputable businesses or individuals usually want to help resolve any issues. We can help after the complainant has been stonewalled by the other party and just needs some help in getting to the right person to resolve the dispute.”
The couple loves to provide outreach presentations to seniors, church groups, clubs, homeowners and condo associations, senior centers and any group that wants to learn about current scams and methods that they can use to avoid being scammed.
“We feel that if we can get to these groups and explain scam prevention strategies, we can reduce the number of people needing help resolving disputes,” Rosanne said. “Our experience in giving these presentations is that we learn from each other and get our point across much better by hearing from the audience who share their own experiences.”
If you would like to learn more about Seniors vs. Crimes, visit the website at www.seniorsvscrime.com.
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