Aurora police warn of scam targeting older, non-English speakers

The Aurora Police Department is warning the public about a scam often targeting the elderly and non-English speakers.

APD says a woman accused of stealing an elderly victim's necklace in a grocery store parking lot may be connected to other so-called "blessing scams," a type of jewelry theft investigators say has surfaced about a dozen times in the city over the past year.

Carolina Pavel, 29, of Denver, was arrested Thursday on charges of theft and crimes against an at-risk person in connection with an Aug. 25 theft outside Pacific Ocean Market in Aurora.

Police say Pavel and another woman approached an elderly woman who does not speak English and repeatedly tried to sell her jewelry.

Investigators say the suspects eventually placed a cheap necklace around the woman's neck. While putting it on, they allegedly used sleight of hand to remove and steal the woman's expensive silver necklace.

The victim did not realize her necklace was gone until she returned home.

Kristopher McDowell with the Aurora Police Department said the method is a variation of a scam seen around the country.

"They'll use this piece of jewelry as an offering, and they'll offer to put it on the victim," McDowell said. "And when they're putting this fake jewelry onto the victim, they'll remove their real jewelry and steal it while it's still on them."

McDowell said scammers may offer a gift, prayer or blessing as a way to get physically close to their victims.

"It's very quick. It's a sleight of hand operation," he said.

Police say the scammers often seek out people they perceive to be vulnerable, including elderly residents and people who may have difficulty understanding what the scammers are saying.

José works at the market collecting shopping carts. He told CBS Colorado in Spanish that he has witnessed suspicious jewelry encounters involving customers there before.

He recalled an incident about a month to a month-and-a-half ago in which he saw people who appeared to be selling jewelry approach an older woman.

He said a woman approached the customer and appeared to be trying to sell her something. Then he saw the woman get into the older customer's car. He said the older woman had a gold chain around her neck.

He said the woman who approached the customer suddenly got out of the car and ran toward a companion before leaving. He said the older woman then emerged from her car visibly frightened and holding her neck.

"It is something very sad for the community," José said.

Police are still searching for other suspects and investigating whether Pavel could be connected to additional thefts.

"There's potential that they're part of a ring, a larger ring involving other suspects," McDowell said.

Police say the scams commonly happen in public parking lots. Investigators say suspects may linger in the area, watching for people wearing visible jewelry before approaching them.

Investigators are concerned the number of victims could be higher than the cases reported to police.

Some people may not realize until much later that their real jewelry was removed and replaced. Others may be reluctant to report what happened. McDowell said police still want to hear from those victims, even if time has passed.

Police also want family members to talk with older relatives and others who may be vulnerable about how the scam works.

Anyone with information about the Aug. 25 theft or similar blessing scam cases is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867). Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.