The New Mexico State Treasurer’s Office has issued an urgent public alert regarding two sophisticated fraud schemes currently targeting state residents and government entities. These schemes involve impersonation phone calls and deceptive phishing emails.
In a recent incident, fraudsters spoofed State Treasurer Laura M. Montoya’s official phone number. Callers, posing as federal law enforcement, attempted to coerce individuals into revealing sensitive personal and financial information. The scammers used publicly available data and fabricated case numbers to lend a false sense of legitimacy, threatening bank account freezes if recipients did not comply with demands for financial details.
Another observed scam involves a phishing email campaign impersonating Docusign, a widely used online document software. These emails, though appearing authentic, originate from fraudulent addresses and are designed to initiate unauthorized financial transactions. The Treasurer’s Office notes that such phishing attempts are increasingly prevalent and are targeting both the general public and governmental agencies.
“These scammers are sophisticated; they use real names, real agency titles, and real phone numbers to appear credible while concealing their intent to steal your information and your money,“ Montoya stated in a press release.
Montoya said that the State Treasurer’s Office will never request personal or bank account information from individuals, nor does it handle individual banking matters or directly engage with constituents on such issues.
She advised anyone receiving a suspicious email or phone call purportedly from the State Treasurer’s Office or any other public agency to “stop, report it, and verify the information received through official channels” rather than engaging with the caller or sender.
Phishing attacks exploit users’ trust to steal personal information such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, user IDs and passwords. The technique typically involves doctored emails that appear to be from legitimate sources but contain malicious links or attachments.
New Mexico residents who suspect they’ve been targeted by these scams should:
- Report suspicious calls or emails claiming to be from the State Treasurer’s Office to the office directly at 505-955-1120
- File fraud complaints with the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office at 1-866-627-3249 or online at nmdoj.gov
- Report internet crimes to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov
- Notify local law enforcement agencies
The State Treasurer’s Office can be reached at 505-955-1120 or by mail at P.O. Box 5135, Santa Fe, NM 87502.
