AARP New Mexico helps keep the state’s senior citizens safe by providing tips on fraud prevention

Volunteers with “A-A-R-P New Mexico” were recently joined by Attorney-General Raúl Torrez in a so-called “reverse boiler-room”—taking the common tactic of cold-calling, and reversing it to proactively give tips on how to spot and avoid scams. The group’s Beth Velasquez explains why the event was held… “Last year, New Mexicans lost over 38-million dollars to fraud—with an average loss of 700 dollars, per incident. And, the most-common scam in the state is the ‘imposter scam’—where someone pretends to be someone else to get your personal information. While there are some things that can be done to lessen the number of calls, they can never be fully stopped. So, our goal with the ‘reverse boiler-room’ was to arm residents with tools to help them remain safe from predators who want to access their information and assets. We’re very excited that the Attorney-General joined us in helping protect New Mexicans.” To learn more or get help, Velasquez urges residents to call A-A-R-P’s “Fraud-Watch Network”, at 1-877-908-3360—or the Attorney-General’s Office, at 1-844-255-9210.