FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 2, 2020
Contact: Matt Baca — (505) 270-7148
Santa Fe, NM―Today, Attorney General Balderas issued a safety advisory to all New Mexicans
about scams related to the federal economic stimulus package. The federal government will soon be
sending money by check or direct deposit to most New Mexicans, but anyone who tells you they can
get you the money now is likely operating a scam.
“Unfortunately our current state of emergency creates a ripe environment for scams and people trying
to take advantage of vulnerable New Mexicans,” said Attorney General Balderas. “We must continue
to protect and educate families, and my office will prosecute any person who tries to harm them.”
Attorney General Balderas provides the following tips to avoid becoming a victim of one of these
unconscionable scams:
• Never pay money to get money. Requests for payments to get your stimulus check are a sure
sign that you’ve been contacted by a scammer;
• Protect your financial accounts. Common scams claim you can get your money immediately if
you provide credit card information, banking information, or other personal information. This
claim is not true and the checks are not ready;
• Be patient. Some fraudsters are claiming they will give you an advance for a small fee while
you wait for your check. Don’t fall for this. It’s a scam;
• The government is not going to call you. Scammers will also attempt to collect personal
information by impersonating a government agency like the IRS. Never provide your
personal information to someone you don’t know;
• Protect your identity. Any request to confirm your identity or gather personal information in
order to send your stimulus check is a scam. Do not give out your personal information, like
birth dates and social security numbers, over the phone or online. The government will not
ask you for this information via phone or email;
• Do not pay a “fee.” There is no “processing fee” to get your stimulus check;
• Think before you click. Do not click on links sent to you by people you don’t know. In the wake
of disasters like the coronavirus outbreak, scammers will often email or text consumers to
gather personal information by using phishing scams. Right now the only place consumers
should check for information about the stimulus check is the IRS website, here:
https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus
Attorney General Balderas also urges all New Mexicans to stop these criminals by being vigilant and
well-informed. Please share this warning with your family, friends, and social media contacts.
Any New Mexican that is suspicious of scamming activity is urged to immediately file a complaint with
the Office of the Attorney General at www.nmag.gov