What happened
The Santa Fe New Mexican reported (published 9 November 2026 at 11:15 PM MT, 1:15 AM ET on 10 November) that Sandra Vega, 48, of Pecos, a former employee of New Mexico's First Judicial District Attorney's Office, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque to four counts of wire fraud and one count of impersonating a federal officer or employee and demanding something of value. Court records say that for about eight years she pretended to be an IRS agent, using phone numbers obtained through the TextFree and TextNow apps to text a man, ask for his name, birth date and Social Security number, and tell him to pay thousands of dollars in fees in exchange for a promised large deposit. Prosecutors allege the scheme ran from at least 2018 until at least March and that she used the money for personal expenses. She faces up to 23 years in prison at a later sentencing. The IRS is the agency being impersonated and is not involved; the real IRS does not text people demanding fees.
How the scam works
According to court records reported by the Santa Fe New Mexican, Vega pretended for about eight years to be an IRS agent, using phone numbers obtained through the TextFree and TextNow apps to text a man, ask for his name, birth date and Social Security number, and tell him to pay thousands of dollars in fees in exchange for a promised large deposit. Prosecutors allege the scheme ran from at least 2018 until at least March and that she used the money for personal expenses. She pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud and one count of impersonating a federal officer or employee and demanding something of value, and faces sentencing later.
The IRS is the agency being impersonated and is not involved. The real IRS does not text people demanding fees, and it will not ask for payment by unusual methods in order to release a refund or deposit. Hang up or ignore such texts, and contact the IRS only through official channels you look up yourself.
Source
The Santa Fe New Mexican, 10 November 2026 (1:15 AM ET): https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/pecos-woman-who-worked-at-da-s-office-pleads-guilty-to-federal-fraud-charges/article_56f6bf1c-e821-461d-bb1a-bcb7e6a4a5bf.html
https://x.com/thenewmexican/status/2120192314505040045
