Rio Rancho police warn of fake court orders, QR code scam

Rio Rancho police warned that a new scam is landing in mailboxes and phones with paperwork that looks like an official New Mexico court order, but is built to trick residents into giving up money or personal information. The letterhead can look convincing at first glance, and the notice includes a QR code meant to pull people to a fake payment site. One of the clearest red flags is the claim that the recipient owes toll fees, even though New Mexico has no toll roads.

The scam follows the same basic script across the state. The New Mexico Department of Justice said a fake “Notice of Hearing - Toll Violation” was circulating by text and other electronic means, falsely naming the Bernalillo County Magistrate Court and citing a non-existent statute as the legal basis for the supposed violation. The department said the QR code on the notice led to a fraudulent website designed to collect credit card information. Its warning was blunt: do not scan the code, click any related links, or provide personal or financial information.

Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court had already reported a similar wave of complaints, saying dozens of people had received a pink-colored “Notice of Hearing - Toll Violation” from an out-of-state area code. Court officials said the court does not contact people by text or phone to tell them about charges or request payment for fines, and that official court notifications are sent through the mail. Court Executive Officer Lissa Quintana told residents to confirm with the court before acting, and the court provided 505-841-8151 for questions about traffic citations or fines.

For Rio Rancho households, the first hour after receiving one of these notices matters. Do not call the number printed on the document. Do not scan the QR code. Set the paper aside, independently look up the courthouse or clerk office number, and verify the notice through a trusted channel before responding in any way. If the message arrived by text or email, treat the contact itself as part of the scam, not proof that the notice is real.

The warning also fits a broader pattern that is reaching Sandoval County and the Albuquerque metro area at the same time. The New Mexico Department of Transportation warned in February that the state has no toll roads and that scammers were using texts, emails, phone calls, and fake websites to steal information. In Rio Rancho, where the municipal court handles traffic citations, arrests, animal control cases, code enforcement cases, and other petty misdemeanors, a fake legal notice can create immediate panic. That fear is exactly what the scammers are counting on.