The Doña Ana County Clerk's Office is issuing a warning to residents about a scam that's been circulating via photo messages and phone calls, scams that demand money for alleged legal violations under the threat of arrest, as several individuals have reported receiving alarming images and calls impersonating law enforcement, the office has noted in a recent announcement. The scam involves sending a photo of a fraudulent bench warrant complete with a fake signature from Doña Ana County Clerk Amanda López Askin, and some residents have described receiving calls from scammers pretending to be police officers, using intimidation tactics to extract payments from unsuspecting victims.
According to Doña Ana County, Amanda López Askin, the county clerk, detailed the deceit used to trick residents, saying, “This is a fraudulent attempt to deceive and intimidate residents into paying money under pretenses,” and she cautioned the community, “No one should respond to these messages or send money,” if you receive a similar communication she advises to report it right away, which reflects the urgency in addressing the scam and ensuring residents are aware of the need to be vigilant against such deceptive practices.
Victims indicated that the scammers pressed for immediate payment to avoid arrest, a tactic designed to cause panic and prompt quick action without giving the target time to consider the validity of the claim, however, it is significant to note that true legal authorities will not request payment via phone calls or text photos for bench warrants, a fact that underscores the importance of confirming the authenticity of any such communications with the appropriate legal entities.
The Dona Ana County Clerk's Office encourages anyone who has received such messages or phone calls to report the incidents to the proper authorities, and to help spread the word to protect neighbors and loved ones from falling prey to these cons; this civic vigilance forms a line of first defense in the fight against scam artists intent on exploiting the fears of law-abiding citizens for their gain and acting with such caution, we can collectively serve as a bulwark against these attempts at fraud.
