HAWAII POLICE DEPARTMENT
WEST HAWAII CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION
CAPTAIN ROBERT HICKCOX
PHONE: 326-4646, EXT. 263
MAY 15, 2006
The Hawaii Police Department is warning the public to beware of Internet scams.
A 28-year-old North Kohala man reported that he agreed to purchase an automobile DVD player through the Internet auction service eBAY. Rather than using eBAY's preferred method of payment, he agreed to send his $500 check through Western Union to a man in Greece.
He never received the DVD player. He later learned the "seller" was on eBAY's TOP 10 list of scammers.
Detective Nancy Haitsuka from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section said Big Island residents who are victims of similar scams may notify police but they should also report the scam to the FBI's internet crime complaint center (www.fbi.gov).
"Local police will file a complaint but that's basically where it will end," Haitsuka said. "To file their complaint properly, they should go to the FBI Web site."
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