(BIVN) – The Hawaiʻi Police Department and the Hawaiʻi Judiciary are warning the public about a new text scam in which unknown individuals posing as District Court representatives are claiming that the recipients have an outstanding traffic fine that must be paid immediately to avoid penalties.
“While these types of scams are not new, this particular version includes official looking names and titles and an official looking website link,” the police department stated, noting multiple residents have reported receiving the text message.
The Judiciary added that the fraudulent text messages allege to be from the Hawaiʻi District Court or the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). “The texts say that unless payment is made for unpaid traffic citations, the recipients driving privileges and vehicle registration will be suspended, their vehicle will be impounded, their wages will be garnished and more,” the Judiciary reported.
“These messages are fraudulent,” the police department stated. “While the State of Hawaii Judiciary can send court appearance reminders via text message, those recipients must “opt-in” to that service.”
Police say members of the public are advised to take the following precautions:
- Do not click on any links contained in suspicious text messages.
- Do not provide personal or financial information in response to unsolicited messages.
- Delete the message immediately.
Police added that if a text message recipient has clicked on the link or entered financial information, the following is recommended:
- Close the page immediately.
- Scan your device (i.e., whatever you opened the link on) for malware and ensure your antivirus and security tools are up to date.
- If you entered any information on the site, change your passwords and enable multifactor authentication.
- Monitor your bank and credit accounts.
- Report the scam at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
The Judiciary says anyone who is unsure whether they have an unpaid traffic citation should search in eCourt Kokua, the Judiciary’s public online case look-up system. “Traffic infractions and crimes can be found by conducting a search using first and last name,” the Judiciary stated. “Parking citations can be found by conducting a license plate number search.”
The Judiciary also provided these important facts to remember:
- The Hawaiʻi State Judiciary does not call, email, or text to demand payment or personal information for court-related matters.
- Official notices from the courts are sent by U.S. mail, unless you have contacted the Judiciary first with a specific question.
- The courts will never ask for your Social Security number, credit/debit card details, or bank account information over the phone or by email or text.
- The courts will never demand immediate payment using pre-paid debit cards, gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or online payment apps to avoid arrest or jail.
- The courts will never instruct you to meet at a courthouse, police station, or other location to make a payment.
“If you believe you are in danger or have been threatened by a scammer, call 911. If you have given personal information or sent money to a scammer, report the incident to your local police department, the Federal Trade Commission, and/or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center,” the Judiciary advised.
