Have you been cheated out of your hard-earned dollars? Learn how to protect yourself from some common consumer scams, including credit repair and debt relief scams, tax scams, pyramid schemes, and many more. At the Office of the Attorney General we collect and use scam reports to help alert others, and we encourage you to report your scam.
Equifax Data Breach
Equifax, one of the three major credit reporting agencies in the U.S., announced a data breach that affects 143 million consumers. The hackers accessed Social Security numbers, birthdates, addresses, and driver’s license numbers.
Telephone Scams
Telephone scammers try to trick you out of money or get access to your personal information. Scams may come through phone calls from real people, robocalls, or text messages. The callers often make false promises, such as opportunities to buy products, invest your money, or receive free product trials. They may also offer you money through free grants and lotteries. Some scammers may call with threats of jail or lawsuits if you don’t pay them.
Banking Scams
Banking scams involve attempts to access your bank account. Some popular banking scams include Overpayment scams, Unsolicited check fraud, Automatic withdrawals, and Phishing.
IRS Imposter Scams
IRS imposter scams occur when someone contacts you pretending to work for the IRS. The imposter may contact you by phone, email, postal mail, or even a text message. There are two common types of scams are tax collection and verification.
Charity Scams
Some scammers set up fake organizations, taking advantage of the public’s generosity, especially after a tragedy or disaster.
Ticket Scams
Ticket selling scams often happen when tickets for popular concerts, plays, special venues, and sporting events sell out quickly but there is a still a very high demand for tickets. Scammers, including individuals and fake resale ticket sellers, will take advantage of the situation.
Sign of Common Scams
- Empty promises (You have to pay up front without receiving anything in exchange)
- Threatening phone calls (Real legal notices are sent in writing, not over the phone)
- Demands for personal/financial information
- Accepting only wire or gift card payment
- Refusing to give you return contact information
Report a Scam
With New Mexico Office of the Attorney General's Electronic Complaint Submission (ECS) application, you can submit your scam to our office without having to fill out paper forms.
In addition, you can submit complaints to: