By KRWG News
Las Cruces – Las Cruces Police are warning area residents of a telephone scam where the caller claims to be a relative living in Mexico and in need of money.
In the past few days police have received a handful of reports of Las Cruces residents receiving such calls. One victim actually transferred $500 via Western Union to someone they believed to be a relative in desperate need of cash. The caller, it turned out, was not a relative and not known at all by the victim.
Perpetrators often use Western Union because those transactions are difficult to track. Western Union services should only be used when transferring funds to someone you know and trust.
Just two weeks ago the El Paso County Sheriff's Office issued a warning of a similar scam being perpetrated in their jurisdiction. And similar scams have been reported in other parts of the country.
Las Cruces Police advise those who receive such a call to simply hang up and then report the incident to your local law enforcement agency.