FBI On The Bottom Line

Dec 13, 2024 | Ohana, Press Room, Education

FBI HONOLULU WILL JOIN HAWAII CENTRAL FCU ON THE BOTTOM LINE TO DISCUSS FRAUDS AND SCAMS IN HAWAII

According to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, (IC3), the state of Hawaii saw $31.8M in losses resulting from cryptocurrency investment scams in 2023. This figure nearly doubled from $16.5M in 2022.

Internet crimes against individuals over the age of 60 have also increased, as this group is by far the most impacted by fraud and scams. According to IC3, the losses resulting from elder fraud in Hawaii have nearly tripled from $10M to $28M in the last three years alone.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 6, 2024

Contact:
Amber Milsap
Community Relations Officer
(808) 441-7364
amber@hawaiicentral.org
www.hawaiicentral.org

FBI HONOLULU WILL JOIN HAWAII CENTRAL FCU ON THE BOTTOM LINE TO DISCUSS FRAUDS AND SCAMS IN HAWAII

HONOLULU, HI—FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Steven Merrill will join Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union as the first guest on The Bottom Line, the credit union’s new episode series aimed at tackling the issues that impact their members and the community they serve. Starting January 15, 2025, the series is set to air on Spectrum Channel 53, the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 6:00 pm. Episodes will also air the following Sunday at 10:30 am.

SAC Merrill will help kick things off on January 15, with an episode focused on elder fraud, including the various scams used to defraud our Kupuna and how to avoid victimization. He will return as a guest in February to provide further insight into cryptocurrency investment scams.

According to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, (IC3), the state of Hawaii saw $31.8M in losses resulting from cryptocurrency investment scams in 2023. This figure nearly doubled from $16.5M in 2022.

Internet crimes against individuals over the age of 60 have also increased, as this group is by far the most impacted by fraud and scams. According to IC3, the losses resulting from elder fraud in Hawaii have nearly tripled from $10M to $28M in the last three years alone.

“If an investment sounds too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true,” Merrill warns. “A stranger should never be directing you where to go on your computer, and you should be wary of any stranger who contacts you regarding financial matters.”

If you or someone you know is a victim of a fraud or scam, contact FBI Honolulu at:

• FBI Honolulu Complaint/Tip Line: (808) 566-4300/tips.fbi.gov
• Internet Crime Complaint Center: ic3.gov
For more information on cryptocurrency scams, visit: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/national-crimes-and-victim-resources/cryptocurrency-investment-fraud

The FBI Honolulu’s area of responsibility includes Hawaii, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa.

About Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union
Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union is recognized by FORBES as a top Credit Union in the State of Hawaii. Founded in 1937, Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial institution serving over 16,000 members and has nearly $300 million in assets. Membership is open to all individuals who live, work, worship or attend school on Oahu. Businesses and other legal entities on the island are also eligible for membership.

Lanakila Pacific Paid Work Experience

Dec 13, 2024 | Ohana, Keiki, Press Room, Education

Lanakila Pacific Paid Work Experience Program Makes a Difference Lanakila Pacific and Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union Strengthen Ties

“This internship with Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union is important to Lanakila Pacific’s Paid Work Experience Program,” says Employment Services Manager, David Comfort. “It’s helping to break the barriers of stigmatism around disabilities that inhibit individuals with disabilities from entering the workforce and becoming less dependent on social services.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2024

Contact:

Laurie Hara
Director of Marketing & Development
Lanakila Pacific
808.356.8533
LHara@lanakilapacific.org

Amber Milsap
Community Relations Officer
Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union
808.382.2518
Amber@hawaiicentral.org

Lanakila Pacific Paid Work Experience Program Makes a Difference

Lanakila Pacific and Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union Strengthen Ties

Honolulu, Hawaii—Meet Chloe, a participant of Lanakila Pacific who—through their Employment Services, Paid Work Experience Program—hopes to find a job that will allow her to express her artistic talents. With hard work and determination, Chloe successfully landed a paid internship at Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union in its Marketing Department assisting with creating graphic assets for digital and print collateral, among other things.

Lanakila Pacific’s Employment Services prepare individuals with disabilities for jobs that interest and suit them. The goal is to help them overcome challenges towards employment – whatever they may be. Beyond offering classes preparing individuals entering the workforce, Lanakila Pacific’s Employment Services works one-on-one for tailored guidance so participants may confidently start their career and gain independence.

“This internship with Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union is important to Lanakila Pacific’s Paid Work Experience Program,” says Employment Services Manager, David Comfort. “It’s helping to break the barriers of stigmatism around disabilities that inhibit individuals with disabilities from entering the workforce and becoming less dependent on social services.”

As a participant-centered program, Lanakila Pacific continually seeks more business partners in a variety of industries to help match participants’ unique skillsets and diverse career interests. This partnership with Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union perfectly suits Chloe and her goals.

“Chloe is certified through `Olelo Community Media, so we thought she would be perfect to help with our video projects,” says Marketing Manager, Travis Uchino. “Through the interview process, we learned about her digital artwork and recognized a potential for her to help with other design projects.”

This opportunity has allowed Chloe to express her creativity in a professional setting, which enables her to develop her communication skills including receiving feedback. “I’m still getting used to receiving different types of feedback,” Chloe says. At Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union, she continues to exercise the soft skills learned from her Employment Services job coach that are required to work alongside people with differing communication styles.

Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union encourages other local businesses to consider partnering with Lanakila Pacific Employment Services. It is a relationship that began quite by accident. “We are always looking to support local businesses and organizations and when we learned Lanakila Pacific does printing, we had them print tote bags for us,” says Uchino.

That relationship further developed as Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union’s Community Relations Officer, Amber Milsap, conducted financial literacy sessions at Lanakila Pacific and learned of the Paid Work Experience Program. “Chloe attended my classes at Lanakila and she has been a Godsend. Coming at a time when our staffing has been impacted by situations beyond our control, Chloe has exceeded our expectations—demonstrating a talent and ability for producing marketing materials.”

This is Lanakila Pacific’s first placement within a financial institution. Other business partners include Kualoa Ranch, Island Popper, Hawaiian Pie Company, Maunalani Nursing and Rehab Center, Uniqlo, Podmore, Bishop Museum, and many others.

About Lanakila Pacific
Lanakila Pacific, a Hawaii-based non-profit 501(c)(3) organization offering a family of assistance programs and social enterprises to build independence and improve the quality of life for individuals with cognitive, physical, social or age-related challenges. For more information, visit LanakilaPacific.org.

About Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union
Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union is recognized by FORBES as Best-In-State Credit Union. Founded in 1937, Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial institution serving over 17,000 members and has over $300 million in assets. Membership is open to all individuals who live, work, worship or attend school on Oahu. Businesses and other legal entities on the island are also eligible for membership.

HAWAII CENTRAL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION NURSING SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT COMPLETES CLINICAL ROTATION AT THE QUEEN’S MEDICAL CENTER

Nov 1, 2024 | Education, Ohana, Keiki, Press Room

HAWAII CENTRAL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION NURSING SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT COMPLETES CLINICAL ROTATION AT THE QUEEN’S MEDICAL CENTER

“You don’t realize what a blessing it is to get a scholarship until you are deep into your studies,” said Jasmine who recognizes the scholarship allows her to focus on what is important. “I want to know everything there is to know about patient care and saving lives.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2024

Contact:
Amber Milsap, Community Relations Officer
(808) 441-7364
amber@hawaiicentral.org
www.hawaiicentral.org

HAWAII CENTRAL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION NURSING SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT COMPLETES CLINICAL ROTATION AT THE QUEEN’S MEDICAL CENTER

HONOLULU, HI—“It is such an honor to have been the repeat recipient of this scholarship,” said Jasmine-Kortney Young-Gusman who, last year, was the first ever awardee of the Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union (FCU) Nursing Scholarship.

“Jasmine is a great example of someone who deeply cares about her patients”, said Shawna Chong-Ishii, APRN, Jasmine’s supervisor, and instructor at Chaminade University. “Jasmine is a dedicated and driven individual who is excited to further her career in the healthcare field. We are happy to support her in her future endeavors.”

According to the American Hospital Association (AHA), by 2028 there is expected to be a shortage of about 100,000 critical health care workers in the U.S. Here in Hawaii, with a branch at The Queen’s Medical Center, Hawaii Central FCU President Drake Tanabe sees its nursing scholarship as a commitment by Hawaii Central FCU to the community it serves.

“It’s important to us that recipients share in our values,” said Tanabe. “Jasmine has demonstrated a solid commitment to the profession and, ultimately, our community. We are delighted to help support those working tirelessly to provide care to patients.”

Jasmine worked for eight years as a Medical Assistant before the decision to pursue a career as a nurse. “You don’t realize what a blessing it is to get a scholarship until you are deep into your studies,” said Jasmine who recognizes the scholarship allows her to focus on what is important. “I want to know everything there is to know about patient care and saving lives.”

“We are grateful to be on this journey with Jasmine,” said Tanabe. “As she shared with us last year, she is a young mother and the first in her family to go to college. She joined our credit union earlier this week and we are proud to call her a member of the Hawaii Central FCU `Ohana!”

About Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union
Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union is currently recognized by FORBES as one of the top three Credit Unions in the State of Hawaii. Founded in 1937, Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial institution serving over 17,000 members and has over $325 million in assets. Membership is open to all individuals who live, work, worship or attend school on Oahu. Businesses and other legal entities on the island are also eligible for membership.

National Public Data Security Breach

Sep 11, 2024 | Education, Advisory

Reminders and Tips for Members in the Wake of the Breach at National Public Data

The recent data security incident at National Public Data potentially exposed confidential information including names, email addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers and mailing addresses of billions of individuals in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.

The good news is your data continues to be secure on our systems at Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union. Your security is a top priority for us, and we are sharing this incident with you to keep you abreast of the situation. We appreciate your patience with our team as we continue to take steps to keep your data secure by asking:

All members create strong passwords for their accounts.
When you call us, we may ask additional security questions to verify your identity and ensure that only you can access your accounts.

Rest assured our team regularly monitors your accounts for suspicious activity and will contact you immediately in the event of possible fraud. We ask that you do to contact us for help if you suspect suspicious account activity.

Considering the breach at National Public Data, we are taking this opportunity to remind members to review security protocols they have in place. Here are a few helpful tips:

Monitor your Credit Report and Account Statements at Financial Institutions for suspicious activity. To get a free credit report, click here.
Freeze Accounts when suspicious activity is detected on your statements and credit report.
Use Multifactor Authentication when it is available to add a layer of security by having a code sent to your phone upon log in.
Update passwords periodically and use strong passwords, using a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters, and incorporating numbers and special characters. Stay away from birthdays and names of your loved ones.
Be cautious with email links and attachments (especially in unsolicited emails) as these may be Phishing Scams. Attachments and links could be an attempt to install malicious software on your device and harvest your data.
Update your antivirus software and run regular security scans to ensure your devices are secure.

If you need more information on the breach at National Public Data, click here.

INNO FIRE AWARD

Jun 28, 2024 | Video Banking, Education, Advisory

HAWAII CENTRAL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION RECOGNIZED FOR TECH & INNOVATION!

The only financial institution in one of seven organizations recognized for tech and innovation by Pacific Business News (PBN), Hawaii Central is proud of this achievement. Hawaii Central was recognized for recent advancements and innovation to include our Video Banking services and Excess Share Insurance, insuring deposit accounts up to $750,000*!

When asked by PBN about what excites him the most about Hawaii Central, Executive Vice President Gary Nakata responded to say, “As technology advances, there are opportunities for us to better serve our members who are continually faced with the ever-increasing demands of day-to-day life…Through video banking and our suite of digital services offered by our virtual branch, members save time and money with the ability to transact from anywhere. Still, the best part about video banking is being greeted by the same friendly faces of the staff who go above and beyond to serve members every day.”

*Member deposit accounts are insured up to $250,000 by the NCUA and an additional $500,000 by Excess Share Insurance, for a total of $750,000.

Congratulations Kira! You Won a $100 VISA Gift Card!

May 16, 2024 | COMMUNITY, Ohana, Keiki, Education, Contest

Congratulations Kira! You Won a $100 VISA Gift Card!

When asked about how she feels about saving, she informed us that she has already saved about $400 and said, “I’m saving for college.”

Much thanks to all who entered our drawing for National Credit Union Youth Month by submitting a coloring page. Congratulations to Kira, who submitted a coloring page and won our drawing for a $100 Visa Gift Card.

When asked about how she feels about saving, she informed us that she has already saved about $400 and said, “I’m saving for college.”

Kira’s Grandmother, Molly is a member of Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union and understands the importance of teaching the next generation about smart money management. Our drawing gave her and other grandparents/parents a fun way to engage with children on the subject. Although she says she encouraged all of her grandchildren to submit an entry, Kira was the only one who entered.

“I spent two days coloring this,” said Kira who added that it was difficult choosing colors.

While the winner was chosen by random drawing, we must say that if it was based on color theory and effort, Kira’s vibrant entry was a top contender!

Our offices will close in observance of Christmas on December 25th. Wishing you peace, joy and happiness around friends & family!

FBI On The Bottom Line

FBI HONOLULU WILL JOIN HAWAII CENTRAL FCU ON THE BOTTOM LINE TO DISCUSS FRAUDS AND SCAMS IN HAWAII

FBI HONOLULU WILL JOIN HAWAII CENTRAL FCU ON THE BOTTOM LINE TO DISCUSS FRAUDS AND SCAMS IN HAWAII

Lanakila Pacific Paid Work Experience

Lanakila Pacific Paid Work Experience Program Makes a Difference Lanakila Pacific and Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union Strengthen Ties

Lanakila Pacific Paid Work Experience Program Makes a Difference

Lanakila Pacific and Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union Strengthen Ties

HAWAII CENTRAL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION NURSING SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT COMPLETES CLINICAL ROTATION AT THE QUEEN’S MEDICAL CENTER

HAWAII CENTRAL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION NURSING SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT COMPLETES CLINICAL ROTATION AT THE QUEEN’S MEDICAL CENTER

National Public Data Security Breach

Reminders and Tips for Members in the Wake of the Breach at National Public Data

INNO FIRE AWARD

HAWAII CENTRAL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION RECOGNIZED FOR TECH & INNOVATION!

Congratulations Kira! You Won a $100 VISA Gift Card!

Congratulations Kira! You Won a $100 VISA Gift Card!