Question: The jewelry scammers are still out there, brazen as ever, all over Oahu. Please warn kupuna and others who might not see the daily posts about this on social media. What is HPD doing?
Answer: The Honolulu Police Department “has about a dozen reports of residents being approached to buy jewelry in the parking lots of stores, shopping centers, and gas stations. The scammers typically work in pairs and make up a reason or emergency as to why they need cash. They may tell victims that their car broke down or ran out of gas, their credit card isn’t working, or they need money for groceries. The scammers then offer to sell their jewelry for cash, telling the victim that the jewelry is of higher quality than it actually is. Victims later realize that they were duped into buying inexpensive necklaces, bracelets, rings or watches. The scammers frequently target seniors and individuals whose primary language is not English. HPD advises residents to walk away if approached and to only purchase merchandise from trusted sellers,” spokesperson Michelle Yu said in an email Wednesday, after we followed up on alerts from the Facebook group Stolen Stuff Hawaii, the app NextDoor and individual readers about this ongoing scam.
Only a fraction of these scams or scam attempts are reported to police, apparently, because social media sites tracking them have posted dozens and dozens of recent examples on Oahu. Besides victims’ stories, Stolen Stuff Hawaii also posts information about people thwarting these attempts.
HPD and CrimeStoppers Honolulu issued a warning June 20. Given that this scam is still going strong more than a month later, readers want HPD to do more to shut it down.
“These transactions can be difficult to investigate. Most of the reports we’ve had have come from people who were approached but did not buy anything. There have been no arrests at this time,” Yu said.
People with information about these crimes can report it to CrimeStoppers by calling 808-955-8300 or via honolulucrimestoppers.org or the P3 Tips app, according to the June 20 alert. Tips can be anonymous.
Q: Do kamaaina have to pay for the $7 parking fee at the Nu‘uanu Pali lookout?
A: No. That’s the parking fee for nonresidents in a private vehicle, according to the state’s website for Nu‘uanu Pali State Wayside. Hawaii residents don’t have to pay it. Read more at dlnr.hawaii.gov, in the section about state parks.
Q: How do we reach the Hawaii tax department? We don’t live in Hawaii and we don’t own property there. We’ve only visited once (vacation). Yet we received a tax notice!
A: The letter you received sounds like a scam attempt, not a letter from the Hawaii Department of Taxation. This has happened enough that DOTAX has information on its website about suspicious letters or emails purporting to be from the department. Any legitimate letter would include a letter ID, the state of Hawaii seal and a direct number to the tax office, which yours did not. Read more at tax.hawaii.gov/protect-your-information.
Q: What do I do if I my husband signed my ballot return envelope by mistake? I voted my own ballot; he signed the wrong envelope. We haven’t mailed them in yet.
A: “Cross out the incorrect signature with a single line and sign above or below the signature space,” according to the City & County of Honolulu’s Elections Division.
Mahalo
Mahalo to the young couple who helped me get my 80-year-old friend out of the car and up to his unit at Discovery Bay after he was released from the hospital with rib pain and other symptoms. I was having such a hard time helping him out of the car by myself, without causing him discomfort, and this couple came over and assisted and they were a great help. A big mahalo to them and may God bless them. — Michael
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
