Social Media Scams are an on going problem in communities around the nation. A local Hudson Valley police department is debunking yet another fake Facebook photo scam.

Social Media Scams Take Over Facebook Timelines

It's an unusual way to scam someone, but recently there has been an uptick in social media scams. In most cases, photos are posted of an injured pet, a "lost" senior citizen, car part thieves and so on, with a caption that includes a town name with a hashtag.

Captions look something like this "Found this dog hit and injured on the side of the road in #Ulster. Does anyone know their owner?"

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Scammers are preying on sympathetic individuals and then after a few days the post changes from a sympathy post to a post with links that can then be used to get information.

Injured Baby Scam Debunked in Dutchess County

A new scam like post has been making the rounds on local timelines across the Hudson Valley. One Dutchess County Police Department is making sure that no one in their community falls for it.

Read More: Be Aware of Scams Across Hudson Valley Facebook Timelines

The Town of Hyde Park Police Department took to their official Facebook page to warn their community about an injured baby photo being shared.

They write "The Hyde Park Police Department has been made aware of a fake post circulating online about an injured baby in our area." Adding "Please be advised that this post is entirely false. There is no injured baby, and this is a scam designed to mislead and exploit community members."

Most importantly the write:

If you come across this post, do not engage with it. Instead, report it to the platform as misinformation or a scam.

We urge everyone to remain vigilant and cautious when sharing or interacting with content online, especially posts designed to evoke strong emotions.

Photo scams like this aren't new as we mentioned before.

Serial Killer Scam Makes The Rounds in Putnam County

Earlier this month the Putnam County Police Department warned about a Serial Killer Scam.

Just like the injured baby photo above, a photo of a person would be shared in different towns stating there was a serial killer on the loose, knocking on doors and then forcing their way inside. Of course hearing this then evokes fear in the community.

Read More: Is A Serial Killer On The Run In Upstate New York, Hudson Valley?

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office wrote  "The posting is advising people to be aware of a serial killer who is on the loose. It includes an image of a wanted subject and uses names of the "suspects" and a "victim" name."

They continue:

There is no validity to the post. Sharing these types of Facebook posts might put your friends and family at risk of becoming a victim of a scam."

Going forward, if you do see a post like this on social media report it to the site you're scrolling on.

Don't get fooled: Here's 25 scam texts I received in just one month

Yes, some of these may be humorous, but some do appear legit and often can fool you.
Spam texts are listed in the same order that they were received.

Gallery Credit: Mike Brant

The Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in America

A new report released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has revealed the top 10 vehicle makes and models that are stolen most often in the United States. Here's a look at 2023's Top Stolen Vehicles in America.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

Ranking States with Most Online Scams

Here's a state-by-state look, using data available from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), ranking states by total amount of money lost to fraud.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

 

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