Officer impersonation scam 06-08-11

Hawaiʻi Police Department
Office of the Chief
Acting Chief Paul Ferreira
Phone: 961-2244
June 8, 2011

Media Release

Big Island police are warning the public about an e-mail scam in which the sender poses as a police officer.

A Kauai woman received several e-mails as part of a Nigerian scam attempting to obtain large sums of money from her. The e-mails contained a photo of a Hawaiʻi County police officer, a Police Department logo and other information that had been cut-and-pasted from the Hawaiʻi Police Department’s website in an apparent attempt to mimic official letterhead and impersonate a police officer.

“The Hawaiʻi Police Department does not contact the public in this manner,” said Acting Police Chief Paul Ferreira. “If you receive an e-mail like this, please do not respond to it. Instead, report the incident to police immediately.”

The Kauai Police Department is continuing the investigation.


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