Spike in utility phone scams reported in Hawaii, HECO says

Electric customers should be alert as phone scammers have been busy this week, targeting small businesses and churches on Oahu, Maui and Hawaii island, Hawaiian Electric Co. said.

The scam involves calls threatening to disconnect service unless a payment is made.

On Oahu, HECO received 10 scam reports on Wednesday and five Thursday, bringing the total reported phone scams this year to 100.

The last two days on Oahu, five churches, including Trinity United Methodist Church, received calls from scammers threatening to disconnect service unless payment was made. No money was exchanged.

“Someone called and said that they were on their way to turn off our electricity since we hadn’t paid since August – it was almost a $1,000,” said Senior Pastor Amy Wake in a news release. “They said that we had to go down to (a drug store) and get a money pack. That’s what alerted us that this was a problem.”

Wake, who was alarmed because the church depends on electricity to run its preschool as well as other programs, hung up and called HECO to confirm the church had no balance.

“To think that they’re targeting churches is really disappointing,” said Wake. “We are trying our best to do good in the world.”

Maui Electric Co. and Hawaii Electric Light Co. on the Big Island each reported about 20 scams this year.

The actual numbers are likely much higher, since some calls may have been unreported, HECO said.

Any customers who receive a scam call should just hang up, HECO said.

HECO said customers can suspect a call is a scam if the caller:

>> Says your utility account is delinquent and threatens to shut off service immediately unless payment is made.

>> Claims to be from a utility demanding immediate payment over the phone via money transfer, prepaid debit cards or Bitcoin.

>> Asks to meet the customer in person to pick up a payment.