As the state sees an increase in the number of reported scams connected to unemployment insurance, Gov. David Ige (D-HI) has warned residents to prevent them from falling for the scheme.
Ige took to Twitter in an effort to spread the word about the scam and help prevent more Hawaiians from becoming a victim.
"DLIR (Department of Labor and Industrial Relations) is putting out a warning that there's been a big increase in reports of schemes tied to insurance claims," Ige wrote in the April 7 tweet. "Oftentimes these schemes try to impersonate the DLIR system through texts and email (example below), trying to get you to click the link. Don't fall for it!"
These latest phishing schemes attempt to make people believe text messages, emails and social media posts are coming from the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations in an effort to obtain personal information, according to a press release.
The scammers have even gone so far to set up fake websites to obtain the information. The DLIR reiterated it never asks for personal information through text messages, the release stated.
The website for state's real unemployment insurance benefits is huiclaims.hawaii.gov. If you receive one of these scam text messages, you are asked to report it through the Unemployment Insurance Call Center at (808) 762-5751.