ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — If you plan to place a bet during the NCAA tournament this year, the Better Business Bureau is warning of a scam targeting bettors.

While sports betting isn’t permitted online in New Mexico, it is allowed at sportsbooks in certain casinos, but anyone can be a target of this scam.

“Even if you’re on a site, there might be a pop-up. It’s gonna take you to another site. It’s not secure. And basically, it’s gonna be an attempt to steal your information,” David Swope said.

David Swope is the president of the local BBB. He explains how you can even become a victim while betting in-person.

“In New Mexico, you have to actually go into a bookmaker. So you’re gonna have to go to one of the local casinos. And of course, there, you could even receive a popup on your phone. It’s being geo-targeted that you’re most likely in the casino,” Swope said.

Some scammers may claim that there are technical issues and may ask for additional verification. The site may even require you to pay even more before you can withdraw your winners.

It’s all fake.

One victim reported, “I deposited money to put a wager for a sports game. I won the bet and attempted 3 times to cash out and 3 times it was declined.”

To protect yourself, the BBB says only to use established sportsbooks or services. Never click on gambling-related pop-up ads or texts.

Read the fine print, too. Remember that even legitimate sports betting sites can freeze your winnings, if you appear to have an unfair advantage.

“When you’re in the moment and you’re in the excitement, that’s probably not the good time to be placing your bets,” Swope said.

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.