Question: What is a bitcoin machine? Is that a real way to pay the electrical bill?
Q: Auwe to thieves! I don’t answer my phone anymore because all I get is scam calls. Now I am getting email, too, including “receipts” for items I never ordered. I haven’t lost money but it is a nuisance. Is everybody getting more of this, or am I doing something wrong?
Answer: Kokua Line is hearing about a lot of scam attempts, which rise during the holidays. Among them are utility scams, including ones where thieves demand payment in bitcoin, a digital cryptocurrency. A bitcoin machine is an ATM-like kiosk that can convert cash to bitcoin, and vice versa.
Hawaiian Electric Co. and other utilities don’t accept payment in bitcoin, so anyone told to pay that way is being scammed. Thieves tell victims that an overdue bill must be paid immediately.
“One business ended up feeding $2,000 into a bitcoin machine last week because the scammer threatened to disconnect electricity within an hour,” said Shannon Tangonan, a spokeswoman for Hawaiian Electric.
Customers should hang up on any caller who threatens to cut service immediately unless payment is made, and they shouldn’t meet with anyone who offers to pick up a payment. Also scams: anyone demanding immediate payment via a money transfer or prepaid debit card.
If you have questions, call the customer service number on your monthly electrical bill.
As for the overall spike, with so many recent data breaches affecting hundreds of millions of U.S. consumers, people — including the second reader — generally aren’t bringing these scam calls and emails upon themselves. Hawaii’s Office of Consumer Protection and the IRS offer some tips for consumers, geared to the holiday shopping season:
>> Payment: Don’t give information to anyone unless you’re certain you know with whom you are dealing. Don’t wire money for purchases. Use your credit card, which will limit your losses if a fraudulent transaction occurs and allows you to dispute unsatisfactory purchases you do make.
>> Online shopping: Carefully read website addresses to ensure you are on a legitimate site and not a look-alike spoof. Check that the website begins with “https” — a sign of security — and has a padlock icon next to the address. Beware scam sites that tempt consumers to click on too-good-to-be-true online coupons simply to obtain user names, passwords and other personal information.
>> Wi-Fi: Do not engage in online financial transactions if using unprotected public Wi-Fi; thieves could view the transactions. Use password-protected networks.
>> Fake shipping notifications: Beware of email phishing scams that use a legitimate business’s name and logo to trick you into opening a fake shipping notification in order to steal your user name and password. Remember where you ordered from and what company is handling the shipping.
>> Gift cards: Avoid buying cards off the shelf, with easily accessible numbers and PINs. Ask for ones that are kept behind the counter or are in well-sealed packaging. Change the security code and register the card as soon as possible. Be sure whatever card you buy is good at Hawaii locations. If you receive a gift card, use it right away.
Mahalo
We want to thank the cleaning staff for turning in my grandson’s lost wallet at United Airlines lost-and-found. He caught a flight to Japan at gate waiting area G. The next day my daughter got a call from United saying it was turned in that day. We did not get a name other than the cleaning staff found it. Thank goodness for the honest person who saved us from days of worrying and canceling credit cards, etc. A big mahalo to the cleaning staff. — A.K.
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.
