Los Alamos Police Department Det.Sgt. James Rodriguez addresses local Rotarians. Photo by Linda Hull
BY LINDA HULL
Vice President
Rotary Club of Los Alamos
“Scam artists are smarter than you are,” explained Detective Sergeant James Rodriguez when he spoke on February 15 to the Rotary Club of Los Alamos. His presentation, entitled Scams and Fraud, outlined through PowerPoint slides, the complexity of these crimes.
New Mexico State Statute 30-16-6 defines fraud as “the intentional misappropriation or taking of anything of value that belongs to another by means of fraudulent conduct, practices or representations.” Based on the value of the property misappropriated, the accused party can be charged with misdemeanors or felonies of different degree.
Rodriguez outlined a lengthy list of scams that are most common. These included those that involve social security, arrest warrants, drug cartels, social media, investments, sweepstakes, tech support, and emails. Currently, frauds committed by email are the most popular, he stressed, and “often allow the scam artist to gain full access to your computer data.”
Among the most vulnerable population are seniors, especially those who have been most affected by the isolation of the pandemic. In Los Alamos, Rodriguez said, “It’s retirees.” He has covered cases here in which local residents “have lost over $100,000 each; one lost $200,000.” Once your information is in the scammer’s…
