Hawaiʻi Police Department
North Kohala District
Officer Paul Nagata
Phone: 889-6540
Media Release
Hawaiʻi County police caution the public to be aware of email, mail and telephone scams that are surfacing here in the islands. Recently, police in the North Kohala District received several reports and complaints of a telephone scam targeting residents on Hawaiʻi Island.
On December 12, a Kapaʻau resident received a telephone call on her cell phone from a number possibly originating from Jamaica. The caller identified himself as an employee of Publisher’s Clearing House. He said the Kapaʻau resident had won $1.5 million and that in order to receive her prize she needed to pay $385 in taxes. She was then instructed to get a “scratch card” from Wal-Mart and to mail it to him. Being suspicious, she reported the incident to police.
Police encourage the public to be cautious and aware of scams and to call police if they are unsure whether a call is legitimate. Remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it is likely a scam.