The City of Santa Fe announced on April 29 that fraudulent emails are circulating, falsely claiming to be from the city and attempting to solicit payments for licenses, fees, and utility billing. Officials said these messages are not legitimate and urged residents and businesses to remain cautious.
This warning is important because scammers are targeting community members by impersonating official city communications in an effort to collect unauthorized payments. The city outlined specific steps the public should take before responding to any payment requests received via email.
According to the announcement, the City of Santa Fe only accepts payments through established methods: ACH transactions via a vendor system, checks mailed to verified addresses, or payments processed through an official city portal. The city does not request payment or banking changes through unsolicited email messages.
Residents and businesses are advised to call Constituent Services at 505-955-6949 before making any payment or responding to suspicious requests. Verification should also be done by confirming invoices through existing systems or validating banking changes with known contacts rather than relying on information provided in unsolicited emails. “If you receive a suspicious email claiming to be from the City of Santa Fe, do not respond or send payment until the request has been verified,” officials said in their statement.
The city also reminded residents that it offers various newsletters covering events, news updates, recreation information, and road construction reports. Residents can personalize their news preferences online.
