Big Island police are warning the public about a scam involving email messages from banks and other financial institutions.
The bogus email claims that the recipient’s account has experienced suspicious online activity.
It tells the recipient to click on a link to verify the account, which results in the recipient being asked to provide personal information that, if provided, would make the recipient an easy target of identity theft.
Police said they have seen a variety of these official-looking email messages claiming to be from different banks.
Detectives have determined that the emails are originating from foreign countries.
According to the federal government, such “phishing” scams take a variety of forms.
Police are urging the public not to respond to these bogus emails as legitimate banks do not ask for personal information over the phone or through the internet.
When in doubt, contact your financial institution directly, police said.
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