The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) has issued a warning to residents about a scam involving fake toll road payment demands. The fraudulent messages have been targeting New Mexicans, creating panic by threatening license suspension or legal action.
“These scammers create a false sense of urgency by threatening license suspension or legal action to panic people into making payments,” stated Secretary Ricky Serna of NMDOT. He emphasized, “Remember, since New Mexico has no toll roads, any message claiming you owe toll fees in our state is 100% fraudulent.”
The alert was prompted by an increase in calls from citizens who received deceptive text messages. Officials reiterated that there are no toll roads within New Mexico's borders and the department will not request toll payments from either residents or visitors.
Current scams involve sending urgent messages claiming that “enforcement action” will start after May 14, 2025. These schemes aim to obtain personal and financial information through:
- Texts or emails demanding immediate toll payment.
- Phone calls alleging toll violations with threats of penalties.
- Fake websites designed to look like official government pages.
To protect against these scams, individuals should:
- Ignore unexpected messages regarding unpaid New Mexico toll roads.
- Avoid clicking on links in suspicious texts or emails about toll violations.
- Refrain from scanning QR codes from unsolicited messages about toll payments.
