Hawaii utility companies joined last week to raise fraud red flag alerts for consumers during “Utility Scam Awareness Week.”

Hawaii residents and small businesses are losing thousands of dollars to increasingly aggressive thieves and scam artists posing as utility workers and bill collectors, according to an announcement.

Scammers are targeting customers who rely on vital services such as electricity, water, gas and telecommunications. Utilities often see a spike in scams during the holidays.

The utilities advise to beware of scams if:

• A caller says one’s utility account is delinquent and threatens to shut off service immediately unless payment is made.

• A caller says he or she is calling from a utility demanding immediate payment over the phone, via money transfer, prepaid debit cards or by Bitcoin.

• If a utility worker shows up at a home or business, be sure that person is wearing official attire with a logo, driving a properly labeled vehicle and carrying company identification. When in doubt, call the utility’s customer service center.