An elderly Espanola woman recently contacted State Police after she was telephonically contacted by various money scam groups, one of which claimed to be the “Mega Millions Lottery.” The groups all claimed that the woman had won a large sum of money. She was then given instructions to send in the form of cashier’s checks the taxes for the winnings to various addresses located out of state.
The woman was told after she sent the “tax payment” she would receive the remainder of her alleged winnings. The woman complied, and lost over $24,000. The parties who contacted the woman each called from blocked, unknown numbers.
State Police contacted the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to report this scam. The FTC advised any person who believes they may be a victim of a similar scam should call the following number: 1-877-FTC-HELP, and report all phone numbers, addresses, and requests made.
The New Mexico State Police wants to remind the public such scams target vulnerable people who are unfamiliar with signs of deception. The public should never respond to requests for money over the phone and should only send payments to verified sources.
Please see the below tips from the FTC on how to recognize and avoid money scams.
It can be hard to recognize an imposter through the lies they tell. They use a variety of tricks to get your attention, whether it’s distracting you with a story about money you won or creating a fear that you’ll be sued or arrested.
Five ways to beat these scams are:
1. Don’t wire money.
2. Don’t pay for a prize.
3. Don’t give the caller your financial or other personal information.
4. Don’t trust a name or number.
5. Put your number on the National Do Not Call Registry.
