BUSINESS
Local credit unions warn members as fraud cases rise across New Mexico
Credit Union Association of New Mexico has launched a statewide campaign to help residents avoid scams
sa国际传媒官网网页入口 resident John Addison was practicing his nightly routine, which includes checking his bank account, when he noticed over $200 had been charged for pizza and rideshare across the country.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of like coming home and finding your back door open when you didn鈥檛 leave it open,鈥� Addison, 70, said.
He later received a phone call from someone who claimed to be an agent working for his financial institution, Sunward Federal Credit Union. Thinking he was talking to an official representative who was verifying his identity to fix the situation, he provided what he described as 鈥渢he keys to the kingdom鈥� 鈥� his account and PIN numbers.
When Addison made his way to the location to meet with an agent in person, employee Donavan Silva told him he had been scammed.
In 2025, more than 13,000 cases of fraud were , totaling $66.6 million. A reports that online scams have become more prevalent with the continuous evolution of technology.
Silva froze Addison鈥檚 account and introduced him to two-factor authentication, a login process that requires users to enter a code sent to their phone in addition to their password. He also showed Addison how to receive notifications from his account鈥檚 app on his phone, allowing him to see every charge in real time.
鈥淵ou have to protect yourself,鈥� Addison said.
In situations like Addison鈥檚, where someone calls and claims to be an agent, Silva recommends people hang up and call their credit union directly, or go to the branch鈥檚 location. He also teaches customers financial literacy and raises awareness about what scams exist.
Silva鈥檚 efforts to combat fraud are shared by a statewide initiative announced this month by the Credit Union Association of New Mexico. The campaign, funded by all 36 affiliated credit unions in the state, allows the cooperatives to distribute physical and digital material to their members, reinforcing the fraud awareness message.
Stop, verify and report is the phrase the campaign committee uses in hopes of preventing future fraud cases like Addison鈥檚. The association encourages people to stop and think about the potential scam before making another move, verify if it is real and report it to their credit union to raise awareness.
Melia Heimbuck, president and CEO of the association, said many people are embarrassed to tell their credit union they fell for a scam. But she encourages them to be honest and ask for assistance, noting that fraud reaches every population in different forms.
鈥淔raud does not discriminate,鈥� Heimbuck said.
The most younger people buy into are related to ticketing, rentals, jobs, inexpensive products and social media.
Older adults in the state, Heimbuck said, tend to fall victim to romance scammers, or con artists who create a fake identity online to first manipulate people into falling in love with them. After the scammers notice their target has gained emotional trust, they use the illusion of the relationship to steal money and personal information.
Oftentimes, romance scammers will present as a charming individual from an Eastern European country, such as Russia or Ukraine, Heimbuck said. The con artist might ask for a large sum of money to purchase a passport and later more for a plane ticket.
Loneliness can make the older population more inclined to fall for a scam, Heimbuck said. A found that loneliness among adults 45 and older is rising. In New Mexico, nearly is over 50.
She highlighted another scam that pressures targets to act immediately. For example, scammers frequently send fraudulent messages threatening to shut off essential services, like water, unless the target clicks the link or pays a fee.
For fraud victims like Addison, proactivity is the first step.
鈥淚nstead of relying on my banking institutions, I鈥檓 protecting myself now,鈥� Addison said. 鈥淚 check my records all the time. I verify things. I don鈥檛 hand out information willy-nilly to people that could charge things on a monthly basis. I am on top of it, and most importantly, I am educated now. I don鈥檛 need to call anybody. I can shut it down on my end so that it doesn鈥檛 continue.鈥�
The association has created billboards, newspaper advertisements, radio messages, flyers and social media posts as part of its campaign. Sara Rochelle, vice president of public affairs and association services for the Credit Union Association of New Mexico, said the material is available in English and Spanish, aiming to reach a wider audience.
The campaign has already had 鈥渁 lot of impact,鈥� Heimbuck said.
鈥淚 imagine there will be some future life for it,鈥� Heimbuck said. 鈥淚 just don鈥檛 know exactly what that鈥檚 going to be like at this point.鈥�
Ideally, Heimbuck hopes to stop fraud altogether. But realistically, she aims to increase awareness of the issue.
鈥淢y hope for the future of fraud is that credit unions can help New Mexicans get in front of it,鈥� Heimbuck said. 鈥淜now what it looks like, know what to do when you鈥檙e faced with it, so that we can stop New Mexicans from becoming victims.鈥�
Keelin Fisher is a business reporter for the Journal. You can reach her at kfisher@abqjournal.com.
