Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez is warning Hawaii residents that scammers pretending to be FBI agents are calling potential victims that they owe unpaid fines and are going to be arrested unless they make a payment.
Scammers are using the attorney general’s phone number (888-586-1282) to convince potential victims that they are legitimate when they aren’t.
“Law enforcement agencies, including the Department of the Attorney General and the FBI, will never, and I repeat, never, call Hawaii residents on the phone demanding them to transmit money, whether in the form of cryptocurrency, an anonymous payment card, a wire transfer, or any other means, in order to avoid imminent arrest,” Lopez said in a release from the governor’s office.
“These people are criminal scammers," she added. "Immediately hang up the phone, do not call them back and under no circumstances reveal personal information or send them money.”
Scammers are calling random residents and telling them they are going to be arrested by law enforcement for unpaid fines unless they immediately make a payment in bitcoin, another cryptocurrency, or use other methods, according to the release. Once residents hear an immediate payment will clear things up, that is normally a sign of someone trying to scam them.
“Spoofing” the attorney general’s number makes false information appear on a phone’s caller ID, usually a fake local number or, as in this case, a local government law enforcement agency. The scammers use “scam scripts” to try to steal money or valuable personal information, the release said.
The Department of the Attorney General is coordinating with the FBI to protect Hawaii residents. Residents are encouraged to report any contact with potential scammers.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of these phone scammers, contact the Department of the Attorney General’s Investigations Division at 808-586-1240.