Attorney General Terry Goddard has opened statewide offices, staffed by volunteers, to help with scam complaints.

howard fischer / capitol media services 2006

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Identity theft, consumer fraud and predatory loans are rising problems in the state of Arizona.

And the elderly, minority residents and recent immigrants are especially vulnerable to these types of scams, said Wendy Cevallos, community outreach coordinator for the Arizona Attorney General's Office.

For that reason, Attorney General Terry Goddard has established satellite offices throughout the state where Arizonans can get information or file complaints if they believe they've been victims of these crimes.

Three of those offices are in Tucson.

Cevallos, who is based in Tucson, said she travels to retirement communities and apartment complexes to educate residents about how they can avoid becoming victims of identity theft.

She said she would do the presentation for just about anybody who asks.

"What we're trying to do is basically minimize these types of crime by educating people," Cevallos said.

The satellite offices, which people can call or visit if they think they've been victimized by identity theft or consumer fraud, are staffed by volunteers trained in filing complaints. They also know where to refer people if they can't help them.

Sometimes there's not enough information in the complaint for the attorney general to take immediate action, but it's always good for people to file a complaint in case more comes to light later, Cevallos said.

In some of the most common scams, someone phones or sends an e-mail that requests personal information such as a bank account or Social Security number.

Often these solicitations appear to be from a bank or other legitimate organization, Cevallos said.

Cindy Bailey, who volunteers at one of Tucson's satellite offices for three hours every week, had to fill out an application and undergo a background check. She said she decided to become a volunteer because she used to work as a legal secretary and enjoys staying involved in her community.

Bailey said it's important for senior citizens to be educated about identity theft and other scams. People often want results fast, and she has to explain to them that the process usually takes time.

"They always want an instant fix, and we can't always do that." But most of the time, she said. people feel better after someone has listened to their complaint.

Bailey also can tell people whom to call if she is unable to help them.

Often people call just to get more information about some of the most common consumer scams, she said.

The office where Bailey works is open only twice a week for three hours, during which anyone is welcome to come in and gather as much information as possible.

Cevallos said the office would be open for more hours if consumers would more often speak up when they think they've been victimized.

Often it's helpful for people just to know there's someone they can talk to, Cevallos said.

"Our job is really to make people aware of consumer scams, but our heart is really into serving the community," she said.

Tucson metro