Albuquerque –
It’s been a common site in Albuquerque to see a group of people at busy metro intersections with half cut milk jug’s filled with cash and coins and a holding posters with a dead or dying child’s photo on it. The posters are usually scribbled with a depressing story in broken English. The signs tell a story about needing money for a funeral or medical expenses due to cancer or other life altering treatments.
The reality is, this is a highly supplicated network of scammers that are injected around the Albuquerque area seven days a week. The scammers network have drivers who place at least two individuals on street corners. Also involved is a lookout, and a body guard since most of the crews are women. These scamming cretins get to work and put on their depressed looks and start scamming people. This tactic takes advantage of the naïve and kind hearted and some people will give their hard earned cash or random change to the fake cause. We observed the milk jugs stuffed with cash and coins.
We at ABQRAW have been on scammer watch for a few weeks behind the scenes. A few weeks ago we approached one group on the corner of 98th Street and Central Avenue and immediately they fled across the street to their vehicle. They hopped into a mini van and drove off at a high rate of speed down Central Avenue.
When the group feels threatened by anyone busting their ruse, they will leave the area and quickly relocate to another part of Albuquerque with less heat. When we first ran our story, fans alerted us to more areas where these scammers posted up. Usually the scammers had left before we got to the location or were chased off by someone else.
On one incident while we were driving to a popular spot near the Walmart on Carlisle but we learned they had already been chased away by someone. We continued to search other busy intersections and went to the busiest intersection in Albuquerque at San Mateo and Montgomery and found two women in matching white t-shirts. We observed the two women on the corner of San Mateo Blvd. and Montgomery Ave. holding signs asking for money for “Lexy”.
They tried to force us away from the area with any tactic they could think of and we heard a very thick Eastern Europe accent when they spoke.
The problem is that the Lexy image was stolen from a very legitimate website rallyfoundation.org. A foundation that helps families navigate the cancer journey.
“We are outraged and deeply saddened to discover that a scammer is exploiting the memory of one of our beloved Rally Kids who recently passed away by using the child’s photo to deceitfully raise money for personal gain. This despicable act is not only a violation of trust but also a profound disrespect to the child’s legacy and their family’s grief,” said Dean Crowe, Founder and CEO of Rally Foundation.
The average amount of money they could make in a day could be in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
If you see these people around town they are not representing any family members who are going through any tragedy. The only tragedy is the scam they are pulling off and victimizing kind hearted people.
I never give money to anyone on street corners, but thanks for this informaiton.
It is very common for over a year now to see this scam at Isleta & Rio Bravo, Coors and Rio Bravo and 98th and Central. What is most disturbing is how APD and County Sheriffs are seen waiting at the traffic light next to them or drive by and won’t even tell them to move on, despite the new law saying that can’t panhandle on a narrow traffic island.
We have all seen it. It truly is ONE Albuquerque, the Detroit of the Southwest.
Risky. Great job shining the light on these parasites!
Shit like this is why I never give handouts.
I really feel bad for the homeless vets that have legit issues, I’d love to help them out but how can you tell without grilling them about their service? That’s another common scam, stolen valor signs.
Be it some people on a street corner here in ABQ or famous douchebags like the rock and Oprah Winfrey. When you give money that’s just it your giving it. Once it leaves your hands you have very lil more often than not zero recourse. So if you give it up then just let it go. Because there is nothing else you can do at that point. Aside from come here to ABQRAW and vent or to some sort of trash social media.