Scams in New Mexico: Don’t be the victim

  • Published
  • By Airman Sondra M. Wieseler
  • 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  The New Mexico Attorney General's Office has recently reported three separate scams throughout New Mexico.

According to the Office of New Mexico Attorney General website, the scams reported were the New Mexico Lottery, National Deed Service, Inc., and the Verizon Wireless scam.

New Mexico residents have found "winning" notifications in their email inboxes; a typical scam. The email will usually request that the recipient send information such as; full name, address, nationality, date of birth, occupation, telephone number, sex and total amount won.

Consumers have also been receiving letters from "National Deed Service, Inc." requesting $59.50 to obtain a certified copy of their property deed. It also states, "The U.S. Government Federal Citizen Information Center web site recommends that property owners should have an official or certified copy of their deed," which leads people to believe this is real, but this, too, is a scam. Do not respond to this letter.

With today's high speed technology, do not expect scams to be limited to mailboxes, inboxes or home phones anymore.

Users of Verizon Wireless in New Mexico have reported receiving calls on their cell phones about an overdue cell phone bill, when in fact, no payment is actually due. If this happens, subscribers are encouraged to contact the Verizon Wireless customer service department to check on their bill before agreeing to anything during the phone call.

This type of scam is known as "phishing".

"Phishing typically involves the creation of e-mails and websites that are designed to look like e-mails and websites of well-known legitimate businesses or other entities in order to deceive others into disclosing personal information," explained Capt. Adam Bentz, 49th Fighter Wing assistant staff judge advocate. "But many scams are not as complex. It could be as simple as stealing someone's mail or door to door solicitations for a 'charity'".

Scams like these normally lead to identity theft which is defined as 'the stealing of a person's information with the incentive to commit fraud'.

This, too, can also be a simple, but harmful crime. As simple as a family member using their loved ones names to apply for a credit card.

Airman 1st Class Jamal Sutter, 49th Fighter Wing, was a victim of this before he was even old enough to apply for a credit card.

"I was 16 when my step father applied for credit cards in my name," said Airman Sutter. "I was young at the time and didn't understand how it could affect my credit and eligibility when it came to buying a car or applying for a credit card of my own."

Increasing awareness of these scams will decrease the chance of financial loss and the probability of identity theft for our servicemembers, which leaves many victims desperately trying to put their lives back together every year.

"An individual who falls for one of these scams could suffer significant consequences," said Capt.Bentz. "If financial accounts are opened in your name that you are unaware of, there could be a significant impact to your credit score which could prevent you from obtaining loans, mortgages, etc. in the future."

According to the Consumer Sentenial, the complaint database developed by the Federal Trade Commision, over 800,000 consumer fraud and identity theft complaints were reported between January and December of 2007. The reported loss from fraud was more than $1.2 billion.

With these numbers, it's apparent that this type of thing can happen to anyone and it's important to be careful. Though it is not always possible to avoid, there are a few tips in order to better prevent it.

The Office of New Mexico Attorney General website states that misspellings and poor grammar are two signs of scam email, and always be suspicious of anyone asking for personal information.

"If something seems too good to be true, it probably is," said Capt. Bentz. "You did not win a 'prize' if you did not enter a contest. Bottom line: be smart."

However, if it does happen to you, act fast!

Immediately contact your bank or creditor, because the sooner you alert them, the more likely you'll get your money back, said Capt. Bentz. Also, file a report with your local law enforcement and keep detailed records of any and all contacts with the thief.

If it occurs in New Mexico, the New Mexico Attorney General's Office website asks that it be reported to them at publicinformationoff@nmag.gov or by mail to New Mexico Attorney General; Communications Division; 111 Lomas Blvd. NW; Albuquerque, NM 87102.

Reporting these scams can help stop this from happening to innocent people throughout our community on base and throughout New Mexico.

"I do not anticipate a decrease [in these scams]," said Capt. Bentz. "The only way to prevent them is to always protect your personal information."

For more information and updates on reports for the state of New Mexico, see the Office of New Mexico Attorney General website, www.nmag.gov.

"It took a while for me to get back on track as far as credit goes because I had to prove it wasn't me who applied for the credit cards," said Airman Sutter about his incident with identity theft. "The incident did make me aware of how easy it is for someone to take your identity."