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The Dutchess County Sheriff's Office in Poughkeepsie is alerting residents about an increase in scams targeting the area. These scams often involve criminals contacting individuals with fabricated stories to extract money. A common scam involves perpetrators impersonating the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), sending texts or emails about unpaid tolls. Victims are threatened with vehicle registration suspension if they do not pay immediately and are directed to a fraudulent DMV website.
According to the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office, other scams claim a family member is in trouble and needs financial help. The office advises residents to be cautious of unsolicited requests for money, especially those urging confidentiality. Messages with misspellings, grammatical errors, or sent at odd hours are likely scams. Legitimate law enforcement will not solicit money to resolve warrants or avoid prosecution.
The Federal Trade Commission also warns that scammers are pretending to be tolling agencies nationwide, sending texts demanding money for unpaid tolls. Residents are urged to verify any claims of relatives in distress by contacting other family members or law enforcement. The public is encouraged to report suspicious messages to the Sheriff's Office at 845-486-3800 or via the tipline at 845-605-CLUE or dcsotips@gmail.com.