New Mexico New Hires Directory

Have you received a notice in the mail from the New Mexico New Hires Directory?

We did!

Is This A Scam?

Although we’re aware of reporting requirements under state and federal law, we had suspicions this form was a scam. After all, this form is (i) asking for a lot of personal employee information, (ii) referencing a non .gov web address, and (iii) without obvious verification to the relevant department within the State of New Mexico. Worse still, the web address on this letter doesn’t match the web address referenced by the New Mexico Human Services Department. There appears to be two different domain names for this. When you do a “who is” on either domain name you will find the information is private so one cannot verify whether either domain name is owned and/or controlled by a valid state agency. Finally, the form contains obvious grammar errors, spurious spacing and other problems, all tip-offs we may be dealing with a scam.

In keeping with our scam series, we decided to dig a little deeper. Here’s what we found:

• This form letter is not a scam. It’s meant as a public service reminder for small businesses in New Mexico.
• Employers must report all new hires in New Mexico or face a penalty.
• The website on the form letter is legitimate.
• Employers can submit the information via phone, fax or mail.
• The New Mexico New Hires Directory is managed by the New Mexico Human Services Department. It sends out reminders to small businesses, even if they have not hired anyone recently.

Navigating the New Mexico New Hires Directory

New Mexico employers must report all new hires to the Human Services Department. This includes new hires, re-hires, and temporary employees. New hires must be reported within 20 days. There are no exceptions. This data is used for enforcing Child Support laws in New Mexico.

If you still have questions about the New Mexico New Hires Directory, read their FAQ. Please be VERY CAREFUL about responding to requests for information such as this. Even though this particular letter is legitimate, be VERY CAREFUL about similar letters. It would not take much work for a scammer to change this letter to suit their own criminal purposes, and send it out.

Final Thoughts

Have you or your business ever received a notice like this? How did you respond? Did you think it was a scam? Feel free to comment below on your experience!