Scammers Posing as New Paltz Officials Target Residents With Payment Scheme

Here we go again. Another Hudson Valley community is warning residents of a scam making the rounds.

New Paltz Police Warn Residents of Wire Transfer Scam

In a new post on social media the Town of New Paltz Police Department share details of a new scam making the rounds locally.

According to the post, scammers are "posing as New Paltz village or town employees and contacting citizens via phone or email." The alleged scammers are then "claiming that an application (such as a request for building permits or planning board approval) has been approved."

The scammer will then:

a wire transfer or immediate payment to move the project forward.

This is one of the many tell tale signs of a scam.

Scam Warning: Town of New Paltz PD Share Red Flags

The Town of New Paltz Police Department then used the opportunity to warn the community of what future scams may look like.

On Facebook they write:

Local government agencies will never request payment via wire transfer or other unusual payment methods.

Additionally, law enforcement reminds the New Paltz community that they shouldn't send money "in response to unsolicited emails or phone calls."

They also add not to share personal or financial information. If you are going to share that type of information, law enforcement suggests verifying any claims by "contacting your local government office directly using official phone numbers."

Other Hudson Valley Scams To Be On The Look Out For

In February of 2026 the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office warned of a Central Hudson scam.

At the time an elderly resident was contacted by "someone claiming to be an employee of Central Hudson." The caller told the elderly man that he owed Central Hudson $900.

Then, the caller threated the Dutchess County resident saying that if he didn't pay his power "would be shut off immediately."

Scammers use fear based tactics, like threatening to shut off someone's power, to pull a fast one on community members.