Beware of scam artists,
police warn as 3 cons ariseFlat tires, sausage sales and
fake phone calls at core of rip-offs
Honolulu police are warning the public about several scams reported over the past few weeks.
One scam took place near Aikahi in Windward Oahu and involved a female suspect selling Portuguese sausages for an alleged fund-raiser. Police said that during one incident the suspect fled in a vehicle after giving an elderly female victim only two of the four sausages she had sold her.
Another scam involves a 40-year-old male suspect approaching people in the downtown area and asking to borrow $11.90 to fix a flat tire. The suspect tells the victim that he belongs to Hope Chapel Kaneohe and gives the name of Kerry Nakano, police said. Hope Chapel staff stated that other con artists have pretended to be members of their church and that they are not aware of any member by that name or description.
Police said a third scam was reported yesterday after a Nextel cellular phone user said a person called him and identified himself as being a Nextel representative. The caller then asked the victim to confirm some personal information about himself. The victim refused. Police said there have been several cases reported involving false Nextel representatives.
Police advise anyone approached by someone claiming to represent a fund-raising activity to ask for printed material about the project or organization.
Anyone who feels they might have been victimized by a scam is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cellular phone.