10/02/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/02/2024 19:04
The Maui Police Department has been made aware of a recurring scam involving spoofed phone calls targeting members of our community. We urge you to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to protect yourself from falling victim to these fraudulent activities.
The most recent reported ongoing scam is spoof callers claiming to be a Maui Police Department representative. Spoofing is a technique used to manipulate caller ID information, making it appear as if the call is coming from a legitimate source, such as a government agency, financial institution, or even a known contact, making it highly deceptive.
The caller tells call recipients that there is a warrant, missed jury duty, or some other legal sanction pending against them, then demands immediate payment via cryptocurrency, online payment apps such as CashApp, Venmo, etc., or other means, gift card, credit card, etc.
Please note that no law enforcement or government agency will attempt to "clear up" warrants or other legal sanctions over the phone, nor will they ever request your financial information to do so over the phone.
Scammers will often:
Some tips to keep in mind: