#fraud

During the holiday hustle and bustle, scammers often target unsuspecting utility customers. Today, on national Utility Scam Awareness Day, Hawaiian Electric warns customers to guard against criminals taking aim at their hard-earned money.

Department officials say 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.

A former Hawaiʻi resident was sentenced to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release for wire fraud and money laundering related to a scheme to defraud at least 42 Hawaiʻi and California victim-investors out of more than $1.2 million.

Nearly two months since the Maui wildfires, Attorney General Anne Lopez is urging Hawaiʻi residents to remain watchful for suspicious fundraisers.

The Senate Government Operations Committee introduced a short form bill (SB 2930 SD1) that aims to establish two new divisions within the Department of the Attorney General to address fraud, white collar crime, political corruption and sex and human trafficking. The measure would appropriate $834,000 for the operations of the Special Investigation and Prosecution unit and $754,000 to operate the Sex and Human Trafficking unit.

The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations today announced that it was awarded $1,2115,000 from the US Department of Labor to combat fraud in the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation programs.

The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations is warning consumers about attempts made by criminals to file imposter claims in order to receive unemployment benefits.

On Monday, an individual called the Sheriff Division to report that he was contacted via text by someone claiming to be a “Sergeant Anderson” with the Sheriff Division Internet Crimes Task Force. According to the report, the impersonator stated that the man would be arrested for inappropriate internet use unless he paid an undisclosed amount of money.

A South Maui doctor has been charged with two counts of healthcare fraud and one count of “Acquiring or Obtaining a Controlled Substance by Misrepresentation, Fraud, Forgery, Deception, and Subterfuge”

The presentation will be offered on two different dates: Monday, Sept. 24 at the Kīhei Community Center; and Tuesday, Sept. 25 at the Wailuku Community Center.  Both presentations will be held at 5 p.m.

The state DCCA is warning businesses of a fraud scheme in which individuals impersonating state officials have attempted to make large purchases via e-mails.

A bookkeeper was sentenced to 35 months in prison for her role in an embezzlement scheme that bilked Maui professional surfer, Clay Marzo and his mother out of

Alexio, a former world kickboxing champion who also starred in the movie “Kickboxer,” was sentenced for tax fraud, money laundering, and commercial fraud.

54-year-old Bart Wayne Volen, who is a resident of San Diego, California and Haʻikū, Maui, was sentenced to eight and a half years in jail for defrauding the United Auburn Indian Community located north of Sacramento, conspiring to launder money and filing a false tax return.

On Monday, Second Circuit Judge Rhonda Loo sentenced Paul Yokoyama and his spouse, Tanya Yokoyama for failing to file tax returns, filing false tax returns as well as tampering with a government record and theft.

With homeowners struggling to protect themselves against foreclosure and fraud prevention, Congresswoman Mazie Hirono has organized a free event August 27 to help educate the public about helpful resources available in Hawaii and on Maui.

Aloha Air Cargo and Prudential Locations are among finalist for Hawaii’s Better Business Bureau’s Annual Torch Awards, which honors trustworthiness in business.

The U.S. Marshals Service has released a list of 21 fugitives in Hawaiʻi, wanted for crimes ranging from sex assault to drug violations and fraud.  Among those on the list is 47-year-old Frank Lefrandt Jr., who jumped bail before a 10-year prison term was set to start.  Lefrandt pleaded guilty to the sex assault of […]