Las Cruces police are warning residents of potential scam telephone calls that are trying to entice call recipients to respond to the scene of a crash or provide personal or financial information.
On Wednesday, Sept. 23, a Las Cruces police sergeant received a telephone call from a woman who appeared to be distraught and crying. The caller indicated she was just involved in a motor vehicle crash. The caller then hung up. The sergeant then received a second telephone call from the same number. This time, a man indicated he was a police officer who was investigating a crash with a distraught woman. The self-described police officer indicated he wanted the call recipient – in this case, an actual Las Cruces Police Department sergeant – to respond to the scene of the crash.
When the sergeant asked the caller for his identity or call sign, the caller was unable to provide verifiable information. The call ended when the LCPD sergeant mentioned that he is an actual, sworn police officer.
The caller ID indicated the phone number originated from an Alamogordo telephone. Las Cruces police are working with law enforcement in that community to investigate this case. So far, LCPD has learned of at least three similar calls from people trying to entice recipients to respond to a fictitious crash scene.
Anyone who receives such a call should refrain from responding to the scene of a crash or police incident without verifying the authenticity of the call. Anyone can verify if they are communicating with an actual law enforcement officer by simply calling Central Dispatch at 575/526-0795. A dispatcher will be able to confirm whether or someone is speaking with an actual law enforcement officer.
Residents are also reminded to refrain from providing personal or financial information to anyone they do not know, or anyone who contacts them by phone, email, text, message, or social media.