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The FBI’s Honolulu Field Office is warning Hawaii residents about scams involving criminals posing as federal law enforcement officers to steal money and personal information.
According to the FBI, scammers are using technology to make calls appear to come from official government phone numbers, including the FBI’s Honolulu office. The callers may use the names of real or fictitious agents to make their claims more convincing.
In one recent report, a scammer appeared in a virtual meeting with a background designed to resemble a federal office.
The FBI said law enforcement agencies will never contact people by telephone or text message to demand payment or personal information. Residents are urged to verify suspicious contacts by calling an agency’s publicly listed telephone number rather than using contact information supplied by the caller.
Anyone who has fallen victim to an impersonation scam should stop communicating with the scammer, contact their financial institution and report the incident to local law enforcement and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
Suspicious activity also can be reported at tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.