Beware Amazon and Central Hudson Scams in Ulster County

The Ulster County Attorney General is warning residents in regards to recent phone and online scams. Recently there have been reports from local residents of an Amazon Imposter Scam, and the Central Hudson Utility Scam.

At the tail-end of the year, a Town of Ulster business received a call from someone claiming to be from Central Hudson. The business owner was told they owed a balanced and that the electricity would be shut off within hours. The owner gave their credit card information to the person to avoid having the power shut off. Two days later, the credit card company called to advise the business owner that their credit card had been compromised and $8,000 had been stolen.

Another resident from the City of Kingston reported receiving an email from Amazon claiming "suspicious activity on your Amazon account" and had instructions to call a number. The person called and was told that their Amazon account had been compromised. The person gave the scammer their account access details, and the scammer ordered $2,000 worth of Amazon gift cards via the victim's Amazon account. By the time the physical cards were received, the funds had been siphoned off.

Scams come in many forms, whether over the phone or through email. They affect businesses and individuals here in Hudson Valley every year. The scammer will use any outlet they can to get your information, including social media.

According to the Ulster County District Attorney's Office advises that the best defense against these scams is a good amount of skepticism. These scammers attempt to scare their victims or make promises that seem too good to be true. Don't hesitate to hang-up, even if the call appears to be from a local number.

The District Attorney's Office, Division of Consumer Affairs can be reached at (845) 240-3260.