New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas says he has created a special task force that will target cheats and recover public funds that are lost due to fraud.
Balderas announced the Fraud Recovery Strike Force on Wednesday.
He says it will be charged with investigating false claims and deceptive practices, and will partner with whistle-blowers to expose abuse and corruption.
Some of these efforts are already under way in the form of ongoing litigation against companies accused of misusing public funds and offering sub-par care to vulnerable New Mexicans.
Other active cases include litigation against credit card companies for restraint of trade and private colleges for deceptive marketing, unfair practices and misrepresentation.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.