The top scam hooking consumers in Hawaii

HONOLULU (KHON2) — If you receive text messages or emails, then you could be a potential victim of the most prevalent scam of all.

“And, that’s really how they get into your system is through those fishing type of emails,” said Roseann Freitas, the Better Business Bureau Hawaii Marketplace manager. “However, we see it online as well with those online purchases.”

According to the BBB, Hawaii saw an increase in overall scam inquiries with 337 in 2022 — there were only 255 inquiries in 2021.

In addition, phishing is now the top scam type in Hawaii after the BBB received 169 phishing reports in 2022. In the year before they received 37.

“We don’t always stop and think we know our computers and now we know our cell phones,” said Freitas.

With a click of a button, you can instantly share and save any of your personal data. But, you don’t have to be that quick.

“We talked about that all the time; but just remember, don’t be in a rush,” Freitas explained. “If you receive a text or something that has a link and you want to verify it, don’t click on that link.”

Other ways to keep your private information secured against all scams include managing your privacy settings and keeping tabs on apps that access your personal information.

For more tips on data privacy, click here.