ALERT: Another Tricky Phone Scam Now Circulating the Hudson Valley

Phone scams are no joke! And over the past couple of years, scammers have found new, creative ways to scheme thousands of New Yorkers out of some serious money.

TrueCaller who takes a deep dive into stats on all things spam calls and phone scams, shared that in 2023 alone, over 56.2 million adults in the United States dealt with phone scam issues. From those 56.2 million people, approximately $25.4 billion were lost as a result, which broke down to an average of $452 per person.

One local sheriff's department is now sounding the alarm for a new scam that is circulating around the Hudson Valley area.

The Latest Phone Scam Going Around in the Hudson Valley

On Saturday, December 7th, the Ulster County Sheriff's Office shared information about a tricky phone scam that residents should be aware of.

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There currently appears to be someone or a group of people making calls claiming to be a part of the Ulster County Sheriff's Office. On Facebook, the office explains, "The scammer then falsely claims they have a warrant for their arrest and will instruct the person to send money."

The Ulster County Sheriff's Office wants the community to know,

"[We] will never call requesting personal, financial, or sensitive information and will never request you provide payment of any kind over the phone."

 

Common Phone Scams to Be Aware Of

Scammers have gotten really creative over the years and have even been able to alter the voice you hear to sound like a loved one. They will often target grandparents, pose as a grandchild or child, and ask for money. Always hang up the phone and call the person they are claiming to be if you are ever really unsure.

Scammers will often demand money in the form of multiple gift cards. This is a good red flag to note.

Be sure to never give your social security number, credit card information, bank account info, or any other personal information over the phone. The #1 way you can avoid being scammed over the phone is to only pick up the phone for numbers you know!

Here are a couple of other scams to keep an eye out for: