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Gift Cards and Gift Certificates

Posted on Dec 22, 2021 in Education

Know your rights when it comes to using gift cards and gift certificates. The gift certificate law provides additional protection for those who either buy or receive a gift certificate. The law states that any restaurant or other party involved in retail goods and services: Must honor any gift cards for five years Must honor ...
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS OFFICE OF CONSUMER PROTECTION DAVID Y. IGE GOVERNOR CATHERINE P. AWAKUNI COLÓN DIRECTOR STEPHEN H. LEVINS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF CONSUMER PROTECTION FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 22, 2021 State Awarded Over $1.5M Judgment in Mortgage Rescue Fraud Case HONOLULU – The state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Office ...
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Robocalls

Posted on Oct 20, 2021 in Education

  Keep in mind Many robocalls are legal. While we have taken several actions, and continue to work on reducing illegal robocalls, it is a difficult problem that requires complex solutions. The most complex part is identifying the illegal calls in real time to be able to block them without blocking lawful calls.   Tips ...
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Spoofing

Posted on Oct 20, 2021 in Education

  When your phone rings and it looks like a local call, you may be more likely to answer. Scammers count on this and can easily fake caller ID numbers. They even can match the first six digits of your own number, which is called “neighbor spoofing.” The urge to answer can be tough to ...
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Scams

Posted on Sep 10, 2021 in Main

Robocalls Spoofing Telemarketing Fraud Too many Hawaii consumers are losing money to fraudulent telemarketers. The problem with telemarketing fraud is that it is difficult to tell whether a caller is legitimate, and it is sometimes difficult for people to hang up on telemarketers. Avoiding Telemarketing Scams Travel Scams Is a travel company offering free or ...
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Identity Theft

Posted on Sep 10, 2021 in Identity Theft

Is someone using your personal information to open accounts, file taxes, or make purchases? Visit IdentityTheft.gov, the federal government’s one-stop resource to help you report and recover from identity theft. Data Breach? Lost Info? Did you get a notice that says a company lost your personal information in a data breach? Did you lose your ...
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Be a Savvy Consumer

Posted on Sep 10, 2021 in Savvy Consumer

Gift Cards and Gift Certificates How to Obtain a Free Credit Report Sign Up for the Do Not Call Registry to Reduce Telemarketing Calls Removal from Mailing Lists There are several things that you can do to reduce the amount of junk mail that you receive. Return of Merchandise Highlights of Hawaii’s return of merchandise ...
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Smishing

Posted on Aug 4, 2021 in Alerts, Taking Action

The word “smishing” comes from combining “SMS” — for short message service (texting) — with “phishing,” the practice of stealing personal or financial information through deceptive communications, primarily emails. Basically, it’s phishing by text messages on mobile devices. What is Smishing? Like phishing emails, smishing texts are scams that aim to manipulate people into turning ...
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS OFFICE OF CONSUMER PROTECTION DAVID Y. IGE GOVERNOR CATHERINE P. AWAKUNI COLÓN DIRECTOR STEPHEN H. LEVINS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF CONSUMER PROTECTION FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 26, 2021 Legitimacy of Economic Impact Payment Debit Cards Arriving By Mail HONOLULU – The state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Office ...
Read More NEWS RELEASE: Legitimacy of Economic Impact Payment Debit Cards Arriving By Mail