The Hawaii Fire Department is warning residents about a telephone scam seeking donations for a Fire Department fundraiser.
This week, a man called a Hawaii County resident several times “soliciting money for the Hawaii Fire Department,” according to a written statement from the department. “When the resident said the calls would be reported to the Police Department, the caller hung up.”
The Fire Department “does not solicit money over the phone,” said Chief Darren Rosario in the statement. “In the event of such a call, residents should notify the Police Department on their nonemergency phone line.”
“Seems like the caller did the right thing, which is call the Police Department,” said police Capt. Sam Thomas in a phone message.
Thomas said scammers previously called Hawaii Island residents about a bogus lottery prize and asked the victims to pay “taxes” before the winnings would be distributed.
In another apparent scam, Edna Fontes of Hilo said she got a call Thursday morning from a young man.
“He acted like he was my grandson — ‘Hi Grandma, how are you doing?’” she said. “I could hear other young men in the background. It was like a sweatshop, calling other people, saying the same thing.”
Fortunately, Fontes knows her grandsons’ voices, which didn’t match the man who called.
“I know my grandkids, and I know they’re here on the island,” she said.
She made a police report about the call, which came from what appeared to be the 587 area code with the caller ID name “Camrose.”
“Christmastime,” Fontes said. “They’re just trying to pull on the heartstrings of grandparents.”
Such calls, she said, really hurt regular people who can lose a whole life savings, with no way to get reimbursed.
Rosario told the Tribune-Herald via phone that firefighters work really hard to maintain public trust for safety reasons, and phone scams undermine that trust.
“Apparently, there are multiple scams involving the names of the multiple fire departments across the state,” he said. Actual firefighters never request donations over the telephone, he reiterated.
Firefighters are in uniform at valid Fill the Boot fundraisers. There also are fire trucks present, so it’s clear when the fundraisers are legitimate.
People who previously fell prey to telephone scams typically end up on “sucker lists,” according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The lists are circulated by scammers, with the hope of repeatedly taking advantage of vulnerable individuals.
The FTC even warns that there’s a scam that offers to get a scam victim’s lost money back — for an immediate fee.
To report suspected telephone scams, call the police nonemergency line at 935-3311.
Email Jeff Hansel at jhansel@hawaiitribune-herald.com.