The postman may always ring twice, but not APD Chief Medina

Is Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina calling you? Even though the incoming number shows up as a legitimate police phone line, you can bet it’s not him. Bet even more if the caller starts demanding money.

Such imposter scams are everywhere, whether the caller claims to be a government agent, a bank official or even a trusted friend.

More than 850,000 people reported experiencing such imposter scams last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. About one in five of those people lost money.

Add in ever-sophisticated technology that allows for a convincing spoof of an individual or entity, and the losses for 2023 totaled $2.7 billion.

In the recent Albuquerque incident, the bogus chief told the person he called after the parents of an underage female on a social media app wanted to press charges.

The call disconnected, but the phone rang again, this time with the caller saying the person needed to send money for the minor’s medical bills, according to the Police Department. The caller provided a badge number.

The department says it doesn’t contact people to demand payment of any kind over the phone. If you get this type of call, report it to 242-COPS.

According to the FTC, these are the most common type of imposter scams nationwide:

Bogus alerts claiming there has been suspicious activity or unauthorized charges on a bank or other type of account. A recent version of this involves a supposed charge on your Amazon account. “But it’s not really Amazon,” the FTC says. “It’s a scammer with an elaborate story about fraud using your identity that ends with you draining your bank or retirement accounts.”

Fake notices that threaten to charge hundreds of dollars to renew a subscription. One example of this involves Best Buy’s Geek Squad tech support service. You are told that to dispute the charge or cancel membership, you have to call a phone number quickly. At that point, the caller might ask for identifying information or remote access to your computer.

A text or email that tries to trick you into paying for fake discounts or giveaways or non-existent prizes.

You are faced with allegations that you committed a crime, but the person at the other end of the phone or computer says they can connect you with someone who can help.

Fake delivery notifications from someone impersonating the U.S. Postal Service or FedEx tries to trick you into giving up financial information.

The FTC is cracking down on certain types of imposter fraud with a rule that went into effect this month, allowing the agency to seek civil penalties against scammers impersonating government or business officials.

It is considering widening the rule to include those impersonating individuals because of “surging complaints” and a “public outcry about the harms caused to consumers and to impersonated individuals,” the agency says.

Specifically, it is looking at whether to target firms, such as an AI platforms, that create content “to provide goods or services that they know or have reason to know is being used to harm consumers through impersonation.”

Contact Ellen Marks at emarks@ abqjournal.com if you are aware of what sounds like a scam. To report a scam to law enforcement, contact the New Mexico Consumer Protection Division toll-free at 1-844-255-9210, prompt 5. Complaints can be filed electronically at nmag.gov/ contact-us/file-a-complaint/