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.
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 →New federal bill would let banks hold transactions up to 90 days to stop wire fraud against seniors
A member of Congress has introduced the Protecting Elders from Wire Fraud Act, which would let banks place a hold of up to 90 days on a transaction leaving a senior's account when financial exploitation is suspected, giving time to determine whether the transaction is legitimate. The bill would also require financial institutions to notify a trusted contact associated with the account when a hold is placed, and it would give banks safe harbor from liability when they act in good faith to prevent a suspected scam. Supporters point to FTC data showing $334 million lost to wire fraud in 2025. The bill is still in the early stages of the legislative process, with no funding details, effective date, or committee action yet reported. The takeaway for families: ask your own bank whether it already offers a trusted-contact option or a hold policy for suspicious transactions, since these tools are becoming more common even before any new federal law passes.
Read at Antelope Valley Press →IRS warns of rising senior scams ahead of National Grandparents Day
Ahead of National Grandparents Day, the IRS and federal investigators are warning that scams targeting older adults keep evolving. In "grandparent scams," callers pose as a grandchild claiming to be hospitalized, in an accident, or under arrest, demanding money right away and pressuring the victim not to contact police or other family members to check the story. In a newer twist on romance scams, criminals target widows and widowers on dating sites, build a relationship over time, then claim an overseas emergency, sometimes using AI to alter their voice or appearance on video calls; victims never meet them in person and only ever send money. Common warning signs across both: contact you did not initiate, requests for personal or financial information, and pressure to act immediately. If you get a call or message like this, slow down, hang up, call the family member directly using a number you already have, and never send money or personal information based on an unverified emergency claim. Report suspected fraud to the National Elder Fraud Hotline, the FBI's IC3.gov, or the DOJ's Elder Justice Initiative.
Read at KATV →Seven Medicare fraud red flags to watch for after CMS blocked $1.6 billion in improper payments
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says enforcement actions have stopped more than $1.6 billion in potentially improper Medicare laboratory payments, part of a broader crackdown on Medicare billing fraud. Consumer red flags to watch for include: someone asking for your Medicare number in exchange for a "free" test or product, a lab test or medical equipment showing up that you never ordered, a caller claiming Medicare "wants" you to get something, anyone offering cash, gift cards, or other perks for your Medicare information, a statement listing a diagnosis or service that doesn't make sense, or pressure to ask your doctor for something you don't need. The advice: compare your Medicare claims against your own appointment calendar and receipts, review your Medicare Summary Notice regularly, check your claims through your secure Medicare account online, and report anything suspicious to 1-800-MEDICARE or your state's Senior Medicare Patrol.
Read at Saving Advice →Inside one senior center's fight against scams: 'Stop, Think, Verify'
The National Council on Aging profiles a Florida senior center's approach to fraud prevention, built around a simple habit: stop, think, verify before responding to any unexpected call, text, or email. Staff describe cases where an older adult lost nearly a lifetime of savings before family stepped in to help monitor the accounts, and use real examples to teach a short list of universal red flags: pressure to act immediately, a supposed relative in an emergency, a government agency demanding payment, a prize that requires a fee, requests for sensitive information, or threats of legal trouble. Their core message: a bank will never tell you to buy gift cards, and the IRS will never ask you to buy Apple gift cards to settle a debt. Other safeguards recommended include freezing your credit, setting up account alerts, and avoiding links or phone numbers you did not look up yourself.
Read at National Council on Aging →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.