Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS
KA ʻOIHANA PILI KĀLEPA

PROFESSIONAL AND VOCATIONAL LICENSING DIVISION

JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR | KE KIAʻĀINA

NADINE Y. ANDO
DIRECTOR | KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

AHLANI K. QUIOGUE
LICENSING ADMINISTRATOR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2024

BEWARE OF SCAM PHONE CALLS TARGETING LICENSED PROFESSIONALS

HONOLULU — The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) is advising the public to be aware of phone scammers impersonating state officials targeting licensed professionals and businesses with false threats of investigation.

Reports indicate that individuals impersonating state officials have contacted at least two current or former licensees stating that the Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO) had filed a complaint against them. To add credibility to the fraudulent calls, the perpetrators utilized caller ID spoofing to make it seem that the calls were coming from the DCCA Professional and Licensing Division (PVL).

The reports involve licensees in the medical professionals, a physician and psychologist, purported contacted by the Hawaii Medical Board. It is a concern that calls may be targeting medical professionals such as nurses, pharmacists, and others.

A professional or vocational licensee that is under investigation by the department would first be notified in writing from RICO, which is not affiliated with any out-of-state agency or task force. Notices from RICO are sent on official letterhead and include contact information for all RICO offices. RICO never requests private or sensitive information over the phone, solicits wire transfers, or verbally suspends licenses. Only the board has the authority to suspend a license through formal written action.

Additionally, PVL, through its 52 licensing programs, does not initiate contact with the public regarding formal investigations. The PVL programs may however contact applicants and licensees to check on the status of an application, request additional information, etc.

If you receive a suspicious call, hang up without sharing personal information. Verify the caller’s legitimacy by contacting the agency using a known, verified phone number (found at https://cca.hawaii.gov/pvl/contact/) instead of relying on caller ID. Impersonating a public servant is a criminal offense and will be investigated and prosecuted.

If you have received any calls similar to what has been described above or are seeking to verify contact from DCCA, please call your respective licensing program or PVL at 808-586-3000. A list of programs and contact information is available at https://cca.hawaii.gov/pvl/.

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Media Contact:

William Nhieu
Communications Officer
Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Email: [email protected]
Office: 808-586-7582