Senior Scam Prevention and Fraud Resources in Hawaii
Hawaii seniors reported $55 million in elder fraud losses to the FBI in 2025, with 917 victims aged 60 and older. This page provides Hawaii-specific scam prevention resources, official reporting contacts, and five years of FBI elder fraud data for the state.
Already been scammed? Read our First 24 Hours Emergency Guide for critical steps to take immediately.
I. Overview: Hawaii’s Senior Population and Key Cities
As of 2024, Hawaii has a population of approximately 1.4 million, with approximately 288,000 residents aged 65 and older, representing roughly 19.9% of the state’s population. This high proportion ranks Hawaii among the top U.S. states for senior population share.
In 2025, Hawaii’s elder fraud losses nearly tripled — from $19 million to $55 million (+194%), one of the steepest increases in the nation. Investment scams exploded to $38.7 million (+295%), now accounting for 70% of all losses. Tech support fraud also surged (+169%). Scammers may exploit cultural respect for authority, language diversity, or geographic isolation, making awareness and early reporting essential.
The top three cities where scams are most frequently reported among seniors are:
- Honolulu (approx. 345,000 people)
- Hilo (approx. 45,000 people)
- Kailua (Oahu) (approx. 38,000 people)
II. 2025 Victim Report: How Scammers Targeted Hawaii’s Seniors
In 2025, Hawaii had 917 victims aged 60+ who reported losses totaling $55,385,929 — up 42% in victims and 194% in losses compared to 2024 (647 victims / $19M).
Loss by Crime Type
| Crime Type | 2025 Loss | 2024 Loss | Change |
| Investment | $38,736,570 | $9,809,411 | +295% |
| Tech Support | $4,779,321 | $1,779,696 | +169% |
| Romance | $2,963,258 | $2,248,407 | +32% |
| Lottery/Sweepstakes | $634,594 | $734,980 | -14% |
| Extortion | $2,500 | $11,199 | -78% |
| Government Impersonation | $1,666,964 | $483,660 | +245% |
Elder Fraud Loss Trajectory — Hawaii
5-Year Elder Fraud Trend — Hawaii (2021—2025)
| Year | Victims (60+) | Total Loss | YoY Change | Nat’l Rank |
| 2021 | 408 | $10,061,508 | — | #31 |
| 2022 | 399 | $16,334,492 | +62% | #35 |
| 2023 | 454 | $27,965,497 | +71% | #28 |
| 2024 | 647 | $18,851,052 | -33% | #40 |
| 2025 | 917 | $55,385,929 | +194% | #32 |
| 5-Year Total | 2,825 | $128,598,478 | +450% (2021—2025) | — |
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Annual Reports, 2021—2025. Covers victims aged 60 and older. National rank is by total dollar loss among 52 states/territories. National totals: $1.7B (2021), $3.1B (2022), $3.4B (2023), $4.9B (2024), $7.7B (2025) — $20.8 billion stolen from American seniors over five years.
Top Crime Types Targeting Hawaii Seniors (2025 vs. 5-Year)
| Crime Type | 2025 Victims | 2025 Loss | 5-Year Total | Growth (2021—25) |
| Investment | 121 | $38,736,570 | $81,556,814 | +1,020% |
| Tech Support | 120 | $4,779,321 | $11,985,318 | +634% |
| Romance | 64 | $2,963,258 | $9,538,503 | +46% |
| BEC | 57 | $2,804,065 | $7,526,723 | +25% |
| Gov. Impersonation | 89 | $1,666,964 | $3,024,278 | +3,032% |
| Lottery/Sweepstakes | 23 | $634,594 | $2,573,107 | +652% |
Top 6 crime types by 2025 losses. Growth calculated from 2021 to 2025. For national crime type trends, see our Crime Type Migration Analysis.
What the data reveals: Hawaii’s elder fraud losses nearly tripled in 2025 — from $19 million to $55 million (+194%), with 917 seniors victimized. Investment scams alone grew from $9.8 million to $38.7 million (+295%), now representing 70% of all Hawaii senior fraud losses. Tech support fraud surged 169%, and government impersonation losses climbed 245%, from about $484,000 to $1.7 million. Lottery and sweepstakes losses were among the few categories that fell, easing 14%. Statewide, that comes to roughly one senior victim for every 1,577 Hawaii residents.
National context: Hawaii ranks #32 in total losses but #19 in per-capita victim rate (63.41 per 100,000), above the national midpoint. The 194% year-over-year loss increase is more than three times the national average of 57% — the steepest growth rate in the Pacific region. Investment scams accounting for 70% of losses is one of the highest single-category concentrations of any state, suggesting a targeted campaign against Hawaii’s seniors. Hawaii’s island geography and tight-knit communities can be both a vulnerability (isolation) and a strength (word-of-mouth awareness spreads fast).
For the full national picture, including how Hawaii compares to every other state, visit our national hub page with interactive data and rankings.
III. Emergency and Official Contacts
Local Police Departments – Elder Fraud and Financial Crimes
1. Honolulu Police Department – Financial Crimes Detail
- Phone: (808) 529-3111 (non-emergency)
- Website: www.honolulupd.org
- Ask for the Financial Crimes or Elder Abuse unit to report scams.
2. Hawaii County Police Department (Hilo Area)
- Phone: (808) 935-3311 (non-emergency)
- Website: www.hawaiipolice.gov
- Serves Hilo and surrounding Big Island communities.
3. Kailua (Oahu) Police – District 4 (Windward Oahu)
- Phone: (808) 723-8838 (non-emergency)
- Website: www.honolulupd.org/district-4
- Serves Kailua, Kaneohe, and Windward Coast areas.
FBI and Federal Scam Reporting
FBI Honolulu Field Office
- Phone: (808) 566-4300
- Website: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/honolulu
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
- Website: www.ic3.gov
- Report online scams, phishing, fraud, tech support hoaxes, and digital financial crimes.
Hawaii Consumer Protection Agencies (DCCA Office of Consumer Protection + AG)
Hawaii Office of Consumer Protection (DCCA) – Primary Consumer Complaint Intake
- Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Office of Consumer Protection
- Website: cca.hawaii.gov/ocp
- Hawaii’s primary intake agency for consumer scam complaints, identity theft reports, and business-fraud complaints. Multiple island offices (Oahu, Maui, Hilo, Kona) — see website for the right office and direct phone number.
Hawaii Department of the Attorney General – Consumer Protection Unit
- Consumer Protection Hotline: (808) 586-2630
- Website: ag.hawaii.gov
- Offers scam alerts, consumer complaint forms, and elder fraud prevention information.
Statewide Elder Services and Medicare Fraud Support
Hawaii Adult Protective Services (APS)
- To report elder abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation:
Statewide APS Intake: (808) 832-5115 - Website: humanservices.hawaii.gov
- Oversees investigations into abuse and exploitation of vulnerable adults.
Hawaii Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP)
- Phone: (800) 296-9422
- Website: hawaiiSMP.org
- Helps detect and report Medicare fraud, billing errors, and identity theft.
Hawaii Executive Office on Aging (EOA)
- Info Line: (808) 586-0100
- Website: health.hawaii.gov/eoa
- Provides elder rights education, fraud prevention, legal assistance, and caregiver resources.
Island-Wise Safety for Kupuna
- Hawaii’s kupuna lose millions annually to preventable scams. Most fraud begins with phone calls, emails, or fake websites.
- These trusted contacts are your line of defense. If something doesn’t feel right, slow down, verify, and ask for help.
- Visit our Education Center to explore common scams, warning signs, and safe reporting steps.
- You are not alone. Awareness is the first step to protection.
Recent Hawaii scam news
Recent news coverage of scams affecting Hawaii seniors, updated from our alerts desk. Each item links to the original outlet; victims and defendants are kept anonymous.
New online tool helps Hawaii kupuna check suspicious texts and emails for AI scam warning signs
A Hawaii scam-prevention educator built a free online tool, WiseStep AI, to help older adults spot AI-generated scam messages after watching her own mother get flooded with fraudulent calls. Users can paste a suspicious text or email into the tool, which flags common manipulation patterns such as false urgency, emotional pressure, or requests for unusual payment. It is a simple, no-cost way for kupuna and their families to get a second opinion before responding to a message that feels off. Think first, verify always: when a message pressures you to act fast, slow down and check it before you click or reply.
Read at Hawaii Public Radio →Online scams stole $55M from Hawaii seniors last year
Hawaii seniors over 60 lost more than $55 million to online scams in 2025, a 65 percent jump, the FBI reports.
Read at Honolulu Star-Advertiser →Elderly woman almost falls victim to scam as Hawaii fraud losses increase
A 93-year-old Hawaii woman nearly lost $25,000 to a tech-support scam as state fraud losses climb.
Read at Hawaii News Now →A physician explains why memory loss raises the risk of falling for a scam
A physician who also cared for her mother through Alzheimer's disease writes that memory loss and mild cognitive impairment are linked to a higher risk of falling for scams and financial exploitation. Part of the danger, she explains, is a condition called anosognosia, where a person with cognitive decline may not recognize that money is missing or that they were deceived. She recommends families start money conversations early, before decline sets in, treat scam awareness as a shared family responsibility rather than a private embarrassment, use phones that screen or block unknown callers, review accounts and credit reports together regularly, and consider a limited power of attorney while the person can still take part in that decision.
Read at Being Patient →Before the holidays, make a family plan to spot scams
With holiday calls and visits picking up, a fraud risk analyst is urging families to agree on a verification plan before a crisis call ever comes in, covering tactics like a caller claiming a grandchild has been arrested, a fake bank or government warning that an account is at risk, a tech support pop-up, or an online relationship that turns into a investment pitch. The core advice is to pause, verify, and talk: hang up, call the person or agency back using a number you already know, and loop in a trusted family member rather than acting alone. Suspicious contacts can be reported to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Agreeing on this plan now, before the holiday season's spike in calls and visits, gives families a calm playbook instead of a panicked decision.
Read at Philadelphia Today →Fake 'psychic' letters promising a windfall defrauded thousands of older Americans of millions
Federal prosecutors describe a mail fraud scheme that sent personalized letters made to look like they came from a psychic, telling recipients they were due a financial windfall that required a payment to 'unlock.' Thousands of people across the country, many of them elderly or otherwise vulnerable, sent checks that were deposited into accounts opened under the fake psychic names and then moved overseas, collecting more than 4 million dollars over several years. No real windfall, inheritance, or prize ever requires you to pay money up front to receive it. If a letter like this arrives, the safe move is to slow down, do not mail a check or payment, and talk it over with a family member or call the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov before responding.
Read at JNS →IV. Learn More: Hawaii Scam Prevention Guides
Explore Hawaii-specific guides on the most common scams targeting seniors in your state:
- Tech Support Scams in Hawaii — Learn to recognize fake pop-ups, phone calls, and remote access schemes.
- Investment Scams in Hawaii — Protect your retirement savings from fraudulent advisors and crypto scams.
- Romance Scams in Hawaii — Spot the warning signs of fake online relationships designed to steal money.
- Government Impersonation Scams in Hawaii — Know what real government agencies will never ask you to do.
- How to Report Scams in Hawaii — Step-by-step guide to reporting fraud and starting recovery.
For national-level data on each scam type, see our Investment, Tech Support, Romance, and Government Impersonation national guides.
See how Hawaii compares. Curious where Hawaii ranks in the national picture? Stolen Trust, our 2026 special study, ranks every state and territory using five years of FBI data and lays out one practical plan to fix elder fraud.