The Department of Public Safety Sheriff Division is reminding the public to be wary of scammers, especially those claiming to be deputy sheriffs threatening to arrest someone, a news release from the office of Gov. Josh Green said.
There have been several reports recently of callers impersonating a deputy sheriff and telling people they have outstanding warrants for failure to appear in court, the release said. The Hawaii Department of Public Safety reports that one scammer called a woman and told her that she failed to appear at a hearing she was summoned to for her expert testimony. The woman got suspicious when she was instructed to post a “surety bond” to keep from being charged. She immediately hung up the phone and reported it to the authorities.
It may not be that easy to tell the tell deputies from the fake ones. “These scammers are getting very creative in their attempts to steal money,” State Sheriff Mark Hanohano said in the release. “They’re using real deputies’ names and they are spoofing real Sheriff Division phone numbers."
Hanohano said his deputies do not make those types of calls. "We want to remind everyone that Hawaii sheriffs will not call you about missed court appearances or solicit any form of payment electronically, or by phone," he said. "The best thing to do is hang up and report it.”
Hawaii residents should not provide credit card numbers, bank account information, or other personal information to callers claiming to represent a law enforcement agency, Hanohano said. If you receive a call, text, or email matching this scam, alert the Sheriff's Division by calling 586-1352.
The Sheriff Division offered tips to help deal with other scammers: Do not communicate with unsolicited e-mail or phone text senders; do not open e-mails, attachments, or links sent by text from unknown individuals; and never provide personal information of any sort via phone, text, or e-mail. Many e-mails requesting your personal information appear to be legitimate.