The Department of the Attorney General is issuing a warning to the public following reports of scammers impersonating its investigators. Individuals have reported receiving calls from people claiming to be agents with the Attorney General’s Investigation Division. The scammers aim to deceive individuals by falsely stating that they are under criminal investigation and can avoid arrest by paying a fine through a money transfer phone app.
Attorney General Anne Lopez emphasized, "Law enforcement agencies will not call to solicit any form of payment electronically, or by phone." Lopez advised individuals to hang up the phone and report such encounters. She further cautioned against providing personal information to callers claiming to represent law enforcement agencies.
The scammers are known to use real names of state employees and spoof genuine Department of the Attorney General phone numbers. Spoofing involves displaying a legitimate local number while concealing the call's actual origin, often from outside Hawai‘i.
If anyone receives a call, text, or email matching this scam, they are urged to contact the Attorney General’s Investigation Division at 808-586-1240 or email [email protected].