Beware of Text Message Scams: Protect Yourself from Fraud

A concerned citizen filed a police report earlier on Wednesday, July 8, 2025, at the HPD Wahiawa Police Station regarding a text message scam. The message included a photo of a letter sent to an unknown phone number, falsely claiming to be from law enforcement. It accused the recipient of a crime they did not commit and demanded payment to avoid imprisonment.

It is important to know that scammers will change the way they solicit you, so while the details here read one way, scams can come in many forms. If something feels off, it’s probably a scam. Here are a few tips to protect yourself:

HPD will never demand payment via text message, phone, or email.
Ignore calls or texts from numbers you do not know— speak with an officer directly to verify.
Never share personal or banking information with unknown callers, nor send payment in any form.

Protect yourself and others by sharing this message!