The NM Attorney General's office reports that scams have been on the rise since the beginning of the pandemic. 

The Diocese of Las Cruces has consistently found itself to be the recipient of scams aimed at taking advantage of the faithful community's kindness.  

The scam is known to begin with a call, email, or text attempting to deceive someone that it is coming from a priest. It uses the priest's name, although the email used is not the priest's address. This is followed by a request for some currency (gift cards, iTunes cards, Visa cards) to aid in some kind of emergency (sick, traveling and lost a passport, or some other crisis).

We encourage you to look at emails carefully as, in most instances, the scammer has created a similar email address to the priest but with subtle differences. Other emails ask you to click on a link to receive a secure message from someone, maybe even someone you know. DO NOT click on any link unless you are certain the sender is known.

Scams can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Per the Federal Trade Commission, When you report a scam, the FTC can use the information to build cases against scammers, spot trends, educate the public, and share data about what is happening in your community.  

Federal Trade Commission (Phone scams and identity theft scams)
Telephone: 877-382-4357
Website: ReportFraud.ftc.gov  

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (Online Scams)   
Website: https://www.ic3.gov/