Maui police warn the public of recurring scam involving spoofed calls

The Maui Police Department is warning the public of a recurring scam involving spoofed phone calls targeting members of the community.

Police say they continue to receive reports of spoof callers claiming to be a Maui Police Department representative. The caller tells call recipients that there is a warrant, missed jury duty, or some other legal sanction pending against them.

Spoofing is a technique used by scammers to manipulate caller ID information, making it appear as though the call is coming from a legitimate source, such as a government agency, financial institution, or even a known contact. These scammers often impersonate representatives from trusted organizations to deceive individuals into disclosing sensitive personal information or transferring money.

Police advise that a legitimate organization, would not seek payment for a service or penalty fee over with a gift card or cash. No law enforcement or other 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, police said.

“We urge you to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to protect yourself from falling victim to these fraudulent activities,” police said in a news release.

Police offered the following tips to avoid becoming a victim of phone scams:

• Do not provide any information to the caller.
• Do not ask them to verify their agency or identity since they often provide official-sounding names, titles, and badge ID numbers.        
• Do not contact the email/number that is being given; contact the organization directly via the official website of said organization.
• If you received a call/message from an individual claiming to be with a federal agency but did not answer/return the call, please report the incident to the FBI at www.ic3.gov.
• If you gave personal information or sent money/gift cards, please report the incident to the FBI and the Maui Police Department at 808-244-6400.