TULAROSA – From confusing websites to fraudulent phone calls and even people knocking on doors, those seeking to take advantage of New Mexicans affected by nuclear radiation are coming out of the woodwork with silver tongues and outlandish offers.

On July 3, Congress passed an expansion and extension of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act that adds New Mexico to a previously expired RECA program and increases a one-time reparations payment to people exposed to radiation from nuclear testing, a group often referred to as “downwinders.”

The law allows for a lump-sum payment of $100,000 to qualifying individuals. The expanded eligibility covers those affected by certain cancers and diseases who lived in New Mexico during a specific time period in the mid-20th century.

Advocates have sa

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