(BIVN) – The Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General is warning the public about a gift card scam in which criminals are impersonating Attorney General Anne Lopez.
According to the AG, the scam in an attempt to trick victims into purchasing gift cards and sending the card information to the scammers.
The AG department says it “recently learned of an incident in which an individual received text messages from someone falsely claiming to be Attorney General Lopez.”
“The scammer instructed the recipient to purchase gift cards and send photographs of the cards and their redemption codes by text message,” the department says. “Fortunately, the victim was able to work with their financial institution to recover the funds.”
“Anyone who believes they have been targeted by an impersonation scam should contact their local police or to the Department of the Attorney General at HawaiiAG@hawaii.gov,” the AG news release advised. “If financial information has been provided, victims should also immediately contact their bank or credit card company to report the fraud and protect their accounts.”
“This scam relies on creating a false sense of urgency while exploiting the trust people place in public officials,” said Tom Alipio, chief of the AG’s Investigation Division. “Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated and may use the names of real government leaders, coworkers or other people you know to make their requests appear legitimate.”
“Criminals who impersonate public officials to steal money exploit the public’s trust in those officials, making this an especially deceptive and egregious form of fraud,” said Attorney General Lopez. “If you receive a message claiming to be from me or any government official asking you purchase gift cards, send money or provide financial information, do not respond. Verify the request through official channels and help protect your family, friends and coworkers by sharing this warning.”
No state official will ask anyone to purchase gift cards, provide gift card numbers or redemption codes or to send money through text messages, email or other unofficial communications, the department reminds.
The Department of the Attorney General offers these tips to protect against impersonation scams:
- Never purchase gift cards or send gift card numbers or redemption codes in response to an unexpected or unsolicited request.
- Verify the identity of the person contacting you by using a trusted phone number or official contact information. DO
- NOT reply directly to the suspicious message.
- Do not provide credit card numbers, bank account information or other personal information to anyone whose identity and affiliation cannot be confirmed through official sources.
