The state of New Mexico, USA, has issued a warning to consumers. Identity thieves are stealing personal information while pretending to be auto insurance companies. They are calling consumers at home and telling them that they are with the “Auto Insurance Center” and that the “New Mexico Motor Vehicles Department is concerned because you may be paying too much for auto insurance.” They indicate they are representing a state agency and leave a number for consumers to call back. When people call back they are asked a variety of personal questions that include their names, addresses and date of birth. The information asked is enough to steal their identity and the state is concerned about the potential damage to consumers. Anyone that gets a call like this is encourage to contact the police.
In a statement issued by the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division they denied any involvement with these calls. “The New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division is not connected with this operation and has not issued any reports [about coverage rates]. “[MVD] is advising against providing any personal information to anyone on the phone.”
Consumers should be leery of anyone representing to be associated with a state agency then asking for information. The person initiating the call should already have information on file.
Identity thieves are everywhere. According to a report by research firm Javelin, Strategy & Research over 12 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2011 alone. Their research indicates that this rise in identity theft incidents is largely due to social media and smart phone users being quick to share information on the internet through posting, purchasing, and applying for things online. Scammers are even creating dummy websites that look like reputable companies. When consumers go to apply for something they could be entering information on a fraudulent site. Consumers looking to get auto insurance quotes online should go to reputable, known sites. If you scroll to the bottom of their site you will see the symbol for Trusted Certified Privacy and McAffe Secure. Consumers should look for these symbols on websites prior to entering data to make sure the site is legitimate and focused on keeping customer information safe.
The New Mexico scam is only one of the many identity theft operations currently taking place. Consumers need to be aware when taking phone calls and entering data online to confirm who they are speaking with and ensure that they have clear privacy controls in place. Those that have been contacted by the New Mexico scam should contact the authorities immediately.
