Beware of Scams in Hudson Valley Yard Sale Groups

If you're a Facebook user, or just scroll for the latest Hudson Valley news, you may want to start paying close attention.

Our Hudson Valley community is always looking to help our neighbors in need, but sometimes the neighbors who we're helping aren't our neighbors at all. Let me explain...

Hudson Valley Yard Sale Facebook Group Scams

In the last few weeks I have personally seen an uptick in Facebook posts shared by friends on my timeline from yard-sale-like groups with titles like "Ulster County Yard Sale!!!!" or "Poughkeepsie NY buy sell trade barter giveaway." There are some people in said groups who are actually using it for resale purposes.

However, it looks like the groups have been taken over by bots recently. For instance, I recently saw a post in the "Ulster County Yard Sale!!!!" group with a photo of a man being accused of cutting catalytic converts in Ulster County. Take a look at the screen shot below:

This photo was posted on November 25th in what is supposed to be Ulster County. But take a look in the back, when did palm trees become a thing in the Hudson Valley?!  If you click on the poster's, Nicole Hanson, Facebook page you'll see she created her page on...November 25th, and her only post is the photo above.

Missing People, Houses For Rent All Scammable Topics

Sadly, these posts also exploit children acting as "Missing Children reports. The latest making the rounds is a photo of a young child in a hospital bed stating that the hospital can't identify the little girl after a hit-and-run accident in #UlsterCounty.

Again, if you click on the name Nia Jackson, it will take you to a brand-new Facebook profile. Easy steps, like checking information from the poster, can prevent the spread of fake news across the Hudson Valley.

While the story might be true, the likelihood is that it happened in another state several years ago.

So while you're scrolling through Facebook in the future, double-check your sources before sharing so-called news on your timeline. Sources like The New York State Police and local organizations are great places to look for confirmation on missing people robbery and other stories.