Watch Out: Another Scam Hits Newburgh, NY

In the second time in as many months, residents in Newburgh, NY are reporting a scam targeting homeowners. The detailed deception aims to siphon money away from Facebook users that use a very popular community feature.

Local Scams in Newburgh, NY

Back in July, several citizens took to Nextdoor to report a suspected scam that focused on driveway paving. Residents reported being pitched a "deal" by an eager salesperson who claimed homeowners could save money by having their driveway partially paved with extra materials leftover from a nearby job. While many comments raised red flags about the possible illegal motivations behind the in-person pitch, this new scam resides almost entirely online.

Facebook Marketplace Scam in the Hudson Valley, NY

The "deal" takes place on the popular Facebook Marketplace feature, where private sellers connect with local interested parties. Everything from trading cards to lawn equipment can be bought or sold on Facebook Marketplace, but this scam seems to focus on people looking to sell large household items.

How it Works

"There’s a marketplace scam going on", the Nextdoor post began. "When you’re selling large pieces of furniture or large items from your home that need to be picked up. They are saying they are out of town but they have a family member in the area that will come and pick it up." The post went on to explain that the "buyers" continue the ruse by asking you for Zelle deposits or send fraudulent certified checks. Many commenters reported similar scamming attempts.

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Community Response

"Same thing happened to me", said a Gardiner woman. "I told him he can meet up at Newburgh police station, never heard from him again" reported another. As a reminder, most "deals" that involve out-of-state shipping, money orders in advance, or any other tactic that seems to avoid in-person exchanges are almost certainly fraudulent.