Media Release

Big Island police are warning the public about a telephone scam.

A North Hilo resident received numerous calls from a company calling itself “First State Attorneys.”

In this scam, the callers claims federal authorities have initiated numerous financial complaints against the resident and offer to clear up the charges for a substantial fee. They say ignoring the call would lead to serious consequences. The callers speak with heavy foreign accents and are both male and female.

The callers possess some personal information but ultimately request bank or credit card information.

They will represent themselves also as bank employees and will give out a contact phone number for their "supervisor" but will not give a physical address of their facility.

Police caution the public not to respond to suspicious calls, especially any requesting personal or financial information.