Scammers shop for personal info with fake coupons
Everyone loves after-Christmas sales, but resist coupons that go beyond the usual until you do a little research.
For example, an online offer of 50 percent off everything at Kohl’s in the last few weeks proved to be a scam that aimed to collect personal information. It was publicized through Facebook, requiring the shopper to click a link before getting the coupon. In some cases, the promotional ad required users to take a survey before snaring the deal.
In either case, the end result was a request for the shopper’s credit card number or other personal information.
There are legitimate bargains to be had out there, but keep your skepticism handy and verify any unusual bargains by checking the store’s website or making a phone call. As always, don’t click on any links in unsolicited online offers.
If you have been a victim of investment fraud and you think things can’t get worse, you’re wrong. Sorry.
The state’s Securities Division is warning caution if a company says it can help recover the money lost and bring the bad guy to justice — for a fee.
“These companies give investors false hope that they will recover lost funds,” state Regulation and Licensing Superintendent Mike Unthank said in a news release. “In reality, the investment scheme is often so old that the company is either defunct or bankrupt, and recovery is very unlikely,”
Typically, the targeted investors have lost thousands of dollars and sometimes their life savings to fraudulent investment schemes.
The state received a complaint from one elderly investor who lost a “sizeable upfront fee” to a third party. The third party said it would file state and federal complaints in an effort to recover the investor’s losses on an oil and gas deal that had happened eight years earlier.
“Little did the investor know, but the perpetrator of the investment scam was already serving time in prison for fraud and had been for several years,” said Unthank.
Also, state securities investigators discovered the supposed asset recovery company named the wrong perpetrator in the complaint, thereby taking a fee to file an erroneous claim.
“In the end, the investor risks becoming victimized for a second time,” Unthank said.
If you find yourself the victim of investment fraud, contact the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Securities Division and file a complaint at rld.state.nm.us/securities-division/. Know that most defrauded investors rarely recover any lost money, and those who are successful usually only get pennies on the dollar.
If you are approached by a firm that offers to file a class-action lawsuit or provide other legal services, ask for the names and license numbers of the attorneys who work at the firm and verify their licensure with the state bar association.
To learn more about investment fraud, and to read the latest advisory, go to the Securities Division website at www. redflagsnm.com.