Hawai'i Island Police Warn Residents About Phone Scams Targeting Locals

The Hawai'i Police Department issued a public warning on March 23 about a phone scam involving individuals falsely identifying themselves as high-ranking members of the Federal Trade Commission and local law enforcement officers targeting Big Island residents.

The department advised the public about scammers impersonating officials who use caller-ID spoofing technology to make their calls appear to originate from legitimate Hawai'i Police Department phone numbers. The scammers call with altered caller ID numbers displaying Hawai'i Police Department phone numbers, posing as police officers and telling victims they have outstanding warrants. In some cases, callers use the actual names of HPD personnel to add false credibility to the scheme and may provide fraudulent documents to support their claims.

The stakes of one reported incident illustrate how aggressive these tactics have become. An elderly man was told by a scammer to deposit $7,000 in a vending machine at a Kona retail business, then bring his driver's license and proof of that deposit to the police station. When the victim challenged the caller and said he was going to the police station to resolve the situation in person, the scammer redirected rather than retreated, insisting on the vending machine payment as a precondition. An employee at the Kona retail business intervened and prevented the transaction, and the elderly man later reported the incident to police.

While Hawai'i Island police officers have called individuals with outstanding warrants as a courtesy in hopes that they may turn themselves in, they will never ask for personal information or payment of any kind over the phone. The department specifically noted it will not request payment via vending machines, gift cards, or bitcoin, regardless of how the call appears on caller ID.

The scam fits a broader statewide pattern. Scammers often create a sense of urgency, coercing victims into immediate action, and may threaten arrest, fines, or legal consequences to pressure people into revealing personal information or making immediate payments. At the state level, Hawaii's Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs has separately warned that scammers have been impersonating federal and state agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hawaii Medical Board, and state Departments of Health and Human Services, to target medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.

Be cautious of callers who use high-pressure tactics or request unusual forms of payment, such as wire transfers or gift cards. Verify any claim by contacting the agency directly using a publicly listed number, not a number provided by the caller. The department reminds the public not to send money to anyone unless the recipient's identity has been confirmed and the payment is for a legitimate purpose; if someone claiming to be a government official or law enforcement officer demands payment, hang up immediately.

Anyone who believes they may have been the victim of a similar scam is encouraged to contact the Hawai'i Police Department's non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311 and report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Additional crime prevention tips are available at hawaiipolice.gov.