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 →A columnist's close call: his mother nearly fell for a fake Microsoft pop-up scam
A longtime syndicated columnist writes that he arrived at his 89-year-old mother's home just in time: her computer screen had locked with a fake warning claiming she had been hacked and telling her to call "Microsoft," and she was already on the phone with a fake technician who had talked her into downloading remote-access software. He disconnected the computer before the software could activate, heading off a scam that, left unchecked, often escalates further: once scammers can see a victim's files and accounts, they frequently follow up posing as a bank fraud investigator and coach the target to wire money, buy cryptocurrency, or read out gift card codes. He notes that AI tools are now making these calls and messages even more convincing. The safe move for any sudden "your computer is infected" pop-up: slow down, do not call the number on the screen, never install remote-access software for someone who contacted you first, and simply restart or shut down the computer instead.
Read at Southeast Missourian →What banks can actually do to freeze a suspicious transfer from a senior's account
A common claim that banks now have a blanket legal right to freeze any senior's bank transfer for 14 business days is misleading; no such universal rule exists. What does exist is more limited and specific. FINRA Rule 2165 lets brokerage firms, not regular banks, place a temporary hold of 15 to 25 business days, with a possible 30-business-day extension, on a transaction when they reasonably believe a customer age 65 or older is being financially exploited, including through romance scams or fraudulent investment pitches. Separately, newer rules around ACH transfers let financial institutions use risk-based monitoring, flagging unusual transaction amounts, suspicious patterns, or activity that doesn't match a customer's normal history, and various state laws give banks legal protection for acting in good faith when they pause a suspicious transfer. None of this requires a bank to use AI or to automatically block transfers over a certain amount; it depends on the institution and the specific red flags involved. The practical takeaway for families: ask your parent's bank or brokerage directly what exploitation-related hold policies and trusted-contact options it already has in place, rather than assuming a single universal rule protects every account.
Read at Saving Advice →AI is making scams 'indistinguishable' from real banking sites, experts warn
Technology experts say AI has made scams targeting older adults qualitatively harder to detect, with fake banking sites and deepfake videos generated from photos pulled off social media now looking nearly identical to the real thing. A recent survey found that only 7 percent of older adults feel confident protecting their personal information online, and 70 percent said they lack confidence about what happens when they share information with AI chatbots. Experts recommend treating any sensitive financial or health information you type into an AI chatbot like cash: assume it could be exposed. Red flags to watch for include messages that create urgency, such as being told to send money to your bank account within the hour, since that pressure is designed to short-circuit careful thinking. Other recommended defenses: use strong, unique passwords and a password manager, turn on multifactor authentication wherever it's offered, and slow down, verify independently, and think twice before clicking a link or acting on an urgent message.
Read at WZMQ 19 →BBB warns of fall home-repair scams that specifically target older homeowners
The Better Business Bureau says fall is a prime season for home-improvement scams, as door-to-door crews offer fake or unnecessary roof, chimney, gutter, and furnace repairs while the weather turns cooler. Home-improvement scams rank among the riskiest categories tracked by the BBB, with a median reported loss of $1,405. Scammers often show up unannounced, claim to have leftover material from a nearby job, quote an unbelievably low price, accept only cash or check, and push to start work immediately. Older homeowners are a particular target for gutter-cleaning scams, since scammers count on them being less able to check the work themselves, and for fake "free energy audit" offers that claim utility-company affiliation before pushing costly, unnecessary upgrades. The BBB's advice: never hire someone who simply shows up at your door, verify any contractor through BBB.org or similar resources before letting them inspect or work on your home, get everything in writing, and never pay the full amount upfront.
Read at Better Business Bureau (via Quad-City Times) →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.