bws logo black and white

For Immediate Release
October 8, 2020

BWS WARNS CUSTOMERS: BEWARE OF SPOOFED ROBOCALLS

Customers should first verify with the BWS if personal information or payment is needed.

HONOLULU – The Board of Water Supply (BWS) is warning its customers to be aware of spoofed robocalls in which a recording that asks for personal information appears to be coming from the agency. Spoofing allows a caller to alter the information that shows up on the caller ID display to hide their real identity. 

Customers need to know that the BWS does not authorize robocalls nor does it ask a customer for personal data such as a social security number.  If you answer the phone and hear an automated voice:

  • Do not answer any questions.
  • Hang up immediately. 
  • Do not call the number back.

This warning comes as a BWS customer reported receiving a spoofed robocall asking for her social security number.  Fortunately, she quickly recognized it as a robocall, hung up, and notified the BWS.  For more facts about spoofing, visit the Federal Communications Commission website at: https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/spoofing-and-caller-id.

The BWS also reminds customers that it will not call them outside its regular business hours, Monday-Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., regarding payment or any other water-related issue. Nor does the BWS attempt to contact a customer to demand and collect payment all in the same phone call and threaten immediate disconnection if payment is not instantly made. When the BWS contacts a customer regarding overdue payment, he or she will be asked to call the BWS at 748-5000 to make a credit card or debit card payment.

Additionally, if you are approached in person by someone saying he/she is from the BWS, it is acceptable to ask for official identification.  All personnel involved in official BWS activities will be properly credentialed -- wearing official BWS attire with the BWS logo, driving BWS labeled vehicles, and carrying an official City and County of Honolulu badge, with the agency identified as the BWS. Photos of official BWS attire and vehicles can be viewed at http://www.boardofwatersupply.com/community/news-and-updates/consumer-alert.  

Residents who want to confirm the validity of an individual claiming to be a BWS employee may call the BWS at 748-5000, or they may call the Honolulu Police Department at 9-1-1 if they are suspicious of an individual’s credentials. Customers may also call the BWS at 748-5041 to file an additional report.

About the Board of Water Supply

The Board of Water Supply (BWS), a semi-autonomous agency of the City and County of Honolulu, manages Oahu’s municipal water resources and distribution system.  As the largest water utility in the State, the BWS serves approximately one million customers on Oahu.  The BWS embraces its mission of “Water for Life – Ka Wai Ola” – to provide a safe, dependable, and affordable water supply, now and into the future.  Uwē  ka lani, ola ka honua – “When the heavens weep, the earth lives.”  For more information, visit www.boardofwatersupply.com, follow @BWSHonolulu or like the BWS’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/BWSHonolulu.

###

 

Contact:

Kathleen Elliott-Pahinui
Information Officer
Honolulu Board of Water Supply
Phone: (808) 748-5319