Greg In The Desert

A friend received a phone call from a scammer. The phone call sounds just like a number of email phishing scams I receive although I have never heard of them on the phone. Here is an account of the phone conversation.

I answered the phone and a person with a indian accent said I had a cashiers check for somewhere around 3 or 30 million dollars, it was difficult to understand with his accent. He said he was from the US Treasury Department. He also said I had a 2010 Mercedes waiting for me and it was already insured with Global American.

I asked him how I get it and he said he needed my address or he could wire the money to me. I told him no thanks and hung up.

The only time my friend answered was from the phone number 876-454-2568 but they had two other attempts from 876-835-3966 and 876-446-2966 which we also think were from the same scammers.

It it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Government agencies don’t cold call people to tell them they have money. My friend will be reporting this to the FTC for whatever good that will do.

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The State of New Mexico has $628 Million of “shovel-ready” projects to spend stimulus money on.

According to the New Mexico Indpendent, there are 29 projects. One project that is desperately needed, is missing from that list: The I-25 and Paseo Del Norte interchange. This interchange is located in District 3 and is probably one of the most heavily traveled interchanges in the city. There are only 3 river crossings from the west to east side and Paseo Del Norte is like an expressway so when all the Paseo traffic gets to I-25 it has to merge into a few lanes and stop at the lights. Creating a huge back up.

Here’s a list of all the projects from the NMI:

District 1

I-10, from the I-25 Interchange to Texas State Line; $50 million; Target bid date: May 2009

I-10, NM 404 Interchange Improvements; $7.04 million; Target bid date: May 2009

NM 11, Columbus to Deming; $3.5 million; Target bid date: May 2009

District 2

NM 128, MP 22-38.5; $22 million; Target bid date: March 2009

US 62/180, MP 6-26; $28 million; Target bid date: March 2009

US 380, Priest Gulch Bridge; $2.3 million; Target bid date: Sept. 2009

US 54, Tularosa to Vaughn MP 163-175; $27.5 million; Target bid date: May 2009

US 54, Tularosa to Vaughn, MP 85-96; $22 million; Target bid date: June 2009

US 62/180 MP 16-26 Southbound; $20 million; Target bid date: March 2009

District 3

I-40 Paseo del Volcan/West Central Interchange MP 150-151; $34 million; Target bid date: March 2009

I-25 Tramway to Bernalillo; $70 million; Target bid date: April 2009

District 4

US 64 Raton to Clayton MP 378-390; $30 million; Target bid date: April 2009

US 64 Raton to Clayton, Wetland Mitigation; $250,000; Target bid date: March 2009

US 64 Raton to Clayton MP 360-378; $45 million; Target bid date: August 2009

District 5

US 84/285 MP 187 to MP 189; $12 million; Target bid date: February 2009

US 84/285 MP 186-188; $23 million; Target bid date: February 2009

US 84/285 MP 183 to MP 185; $20 million; Target bid date: April 2009

US 84/285 Pojoaque Pueblo Interchange; $10 million; Target bid date: April 2009

US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 67-75; $30 million; Target bid date: May 2009

US 64, MP 141-148.7 $24.2 million; Target bid date: February 2009

District 6

US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 15-75 Southbound; $13 million; Target bid date: February 2009

US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 59-67; $19 million; Target bid date: June 2009

US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 53-59; $19.5 million; Target bid date: June 2009

US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 45-53; $15 million; Target bid date: July 2009

US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 37-45; $22.6 million; Target bid date: January 2010

US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 31-37; $17.7 million; Target bid date: January 2010

US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 20-31 Northbound; $31.7 million; Target bid date: January 2010

US 491 Navajo 9 to Tohatchi MP 15-20; $7.4 million; No target bid date set

US 491 Navajo 9 to Tohatchi New Bridge MP 17; $1.4 million; No target bid date set