ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – There’s a new scam Albuquerque police want you to be aware of. This one involves someone impersonating APD Chief Harold Medina.

“We received a call from someone who stated they received a call from someone claiming to be Chief Medina,” said Rebecca Atkins, an APD spokesperson. “And they were alleging that the person they were calling had been speaking with an underage female on a social media platform, and that the parents of that female were now wanting to press charges against this person.”

The scammer then asked for money, claiming it was to pay for the alleged minor’s medical bills.

APD says this isn’t the first time they’ve had to deal with a scammer.

“This is now the second time in just a couple of months where we’ve had a report where someone got a call from an individual alleging to be Chief Medina. So the first incident we had was in December and this time was now within this week,” Atkins said.

These scams aren’t just over the phone, either. Back in 2022, police say Raul Martinez was trying to pull people over by using lights, a fake gun, and making threats.

Atkins says what’s especially concerning is how scammers are getting more creative.

“With this one specifically, the number was spoofed to actually be coming from a number inside APD Main. It looked as though it was the number coming from our records department in the building. So if someone were to receive that call and then look that number up online, it would actually look like that number was coming from the police department, which is also another concerning element of this scam,” Atkins said.

Atkins wants the community to know officers, especially Medina, won’t ask for money over the phone or tell you about charges that way.

Scams like these unfortunately happen from time to time. Atkins says if you think you’re being scammed, immediately hang up the phone and contact APD. You can call 242-COPS or report it online.