The Best Way to Spot a Scammer in the Hudson Valley

Unfortunately, there are people in the Hudson Valley looking for the sneakiest ways to get their hands on your money. Luckily, many towns and counties have a system set up to help residents tell the difference between a legitimate businessperson knocking on their door and a scammer.

While local phone scams and even GoFundMe scams have been popular for years, Hudson Valley, NY residents continue to report in-person incidents with suspicious parties showing up at their front doors. Thankfully, these scams can usually be uncovered with one simple question.

Officials in Ulster County, NY are warning residents about a potential scam involving people posing as Central Hudson employees (Ulster Police Department/Scott Fields via Canva)

Door-to-Door Central Hudson Scam in the Hudson Valley, NY

Ulster County Police recently took to Facebook to warn residents about a possible scam involving two men posing as employees of Central Hudson (below). The comment section quickly filled with residents sharing their experiences with the reported scammers. Then the Ulster County Clerk's Office chimed in with some essential advice.

Ulster County Town Clerk Warns About Local Scammers

"A side note to this scam alert, all door-to-door solicitors in the town of Ulster should have a permit issued by the town clerk’s office", they shared. "Solicitors should be carrying this at all times". Luckily, Ulster isn't the only county in the Hudson Valley to require this type of permit.

Licenses Required for Solicitors in the Hudson Valley, NY

In Dutchess County, the Town of East Fishkill requires a license for Peddling and Soliciting, and the City of Poughkeepsie requires what they call a Hawking and Peddling license (the same goes for Middletown, NY in Orange County). *That means that the easiest way to tell if the person at your front door is a scammer is to ask for their solicitor's license*.

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With schemes ranging from unlicensed driveway paving to the current Central Hudson impersonations, it seems like there is unfortunately no lack of creativity for scammers. Luckily, local government offices are working hard to keep residents safe.