It’s the most wonderful time of the year for thieves, too. Here’s how to protect yourself

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – It’s the season of giving — and for criminals, the season of taking.

The Better Business Bureau says thieves are especially active this time of year.

They’re also getting more savvy — as evidenced by one recent scam attempt.

Several weeks ago, Kailua resident Malia Zimmerman received a voice message from a person named Amanda Davis. The caller said she was working on a community project for Kalaheo High School’s Athletic Department.

“It was from somebody with an accent from the mainland [who] couldn’t even say Kalaheo High School properly,” said Zimmerman. “It wasn’t your normal scam of what you’d expect.”

Zimmerman said she gets these calls at least three times a year.

She got another call from a person named Carlos who had a different phone number but was requesting monetary donations for the same school. She forwarded the voicemails to Kalaheo Principal James Rippard.

He emailed Zimmerman and and said they’re not fundraising or soliciting via phone call or any other means of communication, who advised her to block the phone numbers.

“It was sad that … we’re wanting to support charities, we want to support and schools and teams and you know, it’s unfortunate that people have to be so careful, but you really do,” said Zimmerman.

And being careful means doing your research.

Retired HPD Deputy Chief John McCarthy said people should “verify everything.”

“Don’t be too anxious to give or feel that you’re obligated to respond when that person calls,” he said.

Roseann Freitas, of the Better Business Bureau, said many ads will pop up on social media or be sent directly to you. So as you check things off your Christmas list, make sure you’re aware of who you’re shopping with.

“Be really careful about clicking on any links that you might have, just go directly to that company’s website via your browser and see what they have there,” said Freitas. “Because we all know that those links can redirect us to fake websites, and they can download malware onto your systems.”

Whether you’re buying gifts or donating, you can verify the company on BBB.org.

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