Several residents recently received fake notices claiming taxes are owed to Doña Ana County, the State of New Mexico, or the United States Government.
Appearing official in nature and claiming to originate from local, state or federal government agencies, fake calls, letters or emails notify taxpayers that they owe taxes and their property will be seized, unless a payment plan is arranged.
“We only send out a Tax Bill in November, a Second Half notice in April and a Delinquent notice in June,” said Doña Ana County Treasurer Eric Rodriguez. “Any other correspondence from our office should be carefully reviewed by the taxpayer.”
Rodriguez encourages residents who may have questions or concerns about their property being seized to contact his office, before submitting any payment. “Fraudsters will use the fear of losing property to scam people and steal their money,” he said.
The government does not seize property without a procedural due process. The majority of properties placed up for auction in Doña Ana County are let go voluntarily. “In my time as County Treasurer, I have never seen a situation in which a family was evicted from their home, due to a tax auction,” Rodriguez said.
Recently, the Treasurer’s Office updated its tax notices to include QR codes, which serve as a security measure. When scanned, QR codes direct taxpayers to the County’s website. Additionally, letters originating from the Doña Ana County Treasurer’s Office contain the county seal printed on both the envelope and the letter.
For more information, please call 575-647-7433, Toll Free 1-877-827-7200 ext. 7433; or visit www.donaanacounty.org/treasurer.