OPINION: Fake immigration lawyers are contacting New Mexicans

Fake immigration lawyers have been contacting New Mexicans directly, via social media, trying to collect money for bogus services and prompting a warning from the state attorney general and the State Bar of New Mexico.

In some cases, the imposters have provided incorrect legal advice, “causing some individuals to miss immigration appointments or hearings — leading to potential detainment or deportation,” says the New Mexico Department of Justice.

They may try, in their social media posts, to prove legitimacy by using the names and licenses of real attorneys.

The agency says that in New Mexico, it’s a violation of professional rules for an attorney to contact someone directly to offer paid legal services. So if you get such a contact, it’s likely a scam.

While the State Bar is a resource to determine whether a lawyer is legitimate, remember that a scammer can use the real name or license number of a legitimate practitioner. And since immigration attorneys are not required to be licensed in New Mexico, there might be legitimate attorneys who aren’t listed in the State Bar database.

Protect yourself by reaching out to the attorney’s office directly, using official information that you gain independently, to find out if they really did contact you or if it was an imposter, the Department of Justice advises.

Be wary of gifts you didn’t order

It’s about to be package delivery season, so the U.S. Postal Service is warning of so-called brushing scams in which people get merchandise they did not order. The danger is that these uninvited gifts can lead to identity theft, compromised personal accounts and increased spam.

Third-party sellers are behind this fraud, sending packages that usually contain “low-value items such as household goods or gadgets,” USPS says. What they’re trying to do is raise their product’s online ratings and visibility.

These sellers use their target’s address to make it appear as if they are verified purchasers. They will then pose as the recipient and leave fake positive reviews of their product.

“These fraudulent deliveries appear to be harmless, but they may indicate that cybercriminals have access to the recipient’s name, address and phone number,” USPS says. “Once this personal information is online, it can be used for various crooked enterprises.”

If this happens to you, don’t engage with the sender or you “may inadvertently verify your address, which could lead to more unwanted packages.” Do change your passwords for email and for accounts containing financial data.

Do not scan any QR codes on the package because doing so could install a virus on your device.

File a report with the Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov/report.

Fraudsters threatening to seize property

Don’t believe it if you get a letter that says your property will be seized because of a supposed overdue debt.

The letter says you should call the given 800 number and pay up, but the letters are fraudulent, says the state’s Taxation and Revenue Department.

Know that all letters from the department have official letterheads “and contain information about what steps the individual has taken to receive the letter, if any further action needs to be taken and if there are any remedies available,” a department news release says.

If you’re not sure whether a letter came from the department, visit the Taxpayer Access Point system at tap.state.nm.us/. Tap to verify any overdue payment status.