Question: I paid my electrical bill, by which I mean I put the check in the mail in plenty of time; it should have reached them by the due date. Instead I get a phone call saying my power will be shut off if I don’t pay immediately. They left a message so I couldn’t even tell them I already paid!
Answer: Don’t call back the number showing in your received calls or left in your voicemail. Although you submitted this comment as an “auwe” to Hawaiian Electric Co., we suspect the call did not come from HECO. It probably was a scammer trying to rip you off; several readers have contacted Kokua Line about similar calls.
The company issued a news release Friday about a spike in scam calls to customers of Hawaiian Electric, Maui Electric and Hawaii Electric Light. Customers who receive aggressive, harassing phone calls demanding immediate payment are advised to hang up the phone. The scammers appear to be calling residential and business customers at random. The news release described three common fraud attempts:
>> The caller claims to be from HECO, MECO or HELCO and demands immediate payment over the phone or via a prepaid debit card.
>> The caller says your bill is overdue and your power will be cut off immediately unless you pay right then.
>> The caller asks to meet you to pick up a payment.
In any of these scenarios, hang up. Do not give the caller any personal information or information about your account.
After hanging up, call the customer service number listed on your electrical bill or the company’s website to report the scam attempt.
Do not call back the number that shows up on your cellphone or caller ID, even if the incoming call appears to be coming from HECO, MECO or HELCO.
These are “spoof” calls, in which swindlers falsify data to masquerade as a trusted caller.
HECO’s customer service number is 548-7311. That’s the phone number you should call to report this apparent scam attempt, since you are sure you have already paid your bill.
Auwe
Regarding the auwe Feb. 23 from “Concerned Driver” (808ne.ws/223kline): The drivers on the freeway might have the right of way, but as they approach an onramp they should be aware of cars entering the freeway. I’ve had many situations where people refuse to let you merge. As my father once told me when I was learning how to drive, and this is in regard to pedestrians who think they own the road as well, what good is being right if you’re seriously injured or dead? — Carol
Mahalo
I took my 4-year-old to the Punahou Carnival on Feb. 3. He had a good time playing some of the skill games and won 11 tickets that he could exchange for prizes at the prize booth. While he was mulling over his choices, a kind lady came over to us and asked if we could use some more tickets. She gave us 26 tickets so that we could get a better prize! My son was delighted! The good times didn’t end there. We went to the book tent and noticed that we could fill a bag with books for only $5. We packed the bag pretty full and went to pay. The checkout person said that they only took scrip as payment, which I didn’t know. Since I had only $2 worth of scrip left, I was faced with the choice of either returning some of the books or going back to the scrip booth and waiting in line to buy more. The checkout person then pulled scrip out of his own pocket and said that he would cover the shortage for us so that we could buy the whole bag. He would not take money for the scrip that he gave us. I didn’t get the names of either of these kind individuals, but I would like them both to know that their generosity was very much appreciated, and my son and I intend to pay the favors forward when we get the chance. — Sincerely, Mike
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
