COLUMBIA COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Columbia County Sheriff’s Office reports many complaints from residents regarding male subjects operating dump trucks and pick-up trucks with loads of stone. The complaints explain the male subjects park on the town or county roads and flag down residents or pull into residents’ driveways attempting to make contact with property owners.

The Sheriff’s Office explains the subjects will say they need to off load a truck filled with stone, sometimes offering it for free. Homeowners are baited into accepting free product and then are asked to provide some sort of payment. The office reports the homeowners who offer to pay are given bills in a very large amount which they sometimes can feel pressured or obligated to pay. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office encourages residents to stay vigilant about such scams and to report any incidents of this nature to the main dispatch at (518) 828-3344.