Sheriff Warns of Charity Scam Targeting Highlands Ranch Parking Lot Shoppers

Three men have been working the parking lots of Highlands Ranch's Whole Foods, King Soopers, and Ace Hardware locations, approaching shoppers with fabricated charity pitches and portable card readers that allow them to charge far more than any donor intends to give. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is urging residents to recognize the approach before a transaction is processed.

Suspects are described as three tall males with long dreadlocks. The pitches reported so far involve two recurring angles: a youth trip fundraiser and funeral expenses for a grieving family. Neither cause is real. The card reader is central to the scheme; it removes the donor's control over how much is actually charged and leaves little recourse once the transaction clears.

The most effective defense is refusal before a card ever leaves a pocket. Any solicitor approached in a parking lot should be able to provide the registered legal name of their charity and confirm it is registered with Colorado's Secretary of State, which maintains a public database. If that information is unavailable or the person becomes evasive, do not donate. The presence of a card reader alone, with no paper trail or verifiable organization name, is reason enough to decline and leave.

Anyone who encounters the described suspects should note physical descriptions, any associated vehicle and its license plate, and the precise location and time. Call DCSO's non-emergency line at 303-660-7500 immediately; the department specifically requests reports be made in the moment when possible. Photographs, if obtained safely, are useful. Additional guidance on avoiding fraud is available through the sheriff's office online at dcsheriff.net/community/protect-yourself-from-scams/.

This alert fits into a pattern that has been building. The Castle Pines Connection has reported a significant increase in scam activity across Douglas County in recent months. Highlands Ranch parking lots specifically drew an earlier DCSO warning after a woman was spotted approaching shoppers at a local grocery store, possibly stealing money, following a community alert posted to a Highlands Ranch Facebook page.

The county's history with fraud stretches back further. In March 2024, Sheriff Darren Weekly stood alongside other Douglas County law enforcement officials at a press conference after a suspect was arrested for scamming a 79-year-old Highlands Ranch woman out of $120,000 through a gold bar scheme that began with a computer popup message. At that event, Weekly reflected on how long the problem has persisted: "Honestly, it's been decades." In a separate case, a DCSO technician intercepted $20,000 in cash an elderly victim had already sent to a fraudster and secured its full return.

The King Soopers location now flagged in the charity scam alert was also the site of a June 2024 coordinated retail theft bust, in which DCSO deputies arrested four suspects and recovered $9,600 in stolen merchandise, with an additional $5,000 in stolen goods found in the suspect vehicle.

DCSO's Senior Safe program maintains a dedicated scam awareness blog and ongoing fraud updates for residents. Senior Resource Deputy Ryan Falkner is specifically available to provide guidance and support to anyone who believes they may have been victimized. Reach the sheriff's office at 303-660-7500.