Decades of service protect seniors from fraud

This year, Hawai‘i’s Better Business Bureau (BBB) will be turning 67 years old. The bureau was here from when Hawai‘i became a state to when one of its citizens became the U.S. President — and it’s still going strong. In fact, you could say that the BBB is a kupuna of local business.

As the BBB continues to grow and serve the people of Hawai‘i, it takes on local culture, values and traditions. The bureau’s position has become much like the kupuna of Hawaiian culture; a major source of wisdom and the transmitters of knowledge and training to younger generations. Simultaneously, it helps to keep kupuna safe as consumers.

While being the revered segment of Hawai‘i’s society, many of our kupuna are still at risk for becoming victims of fraud. According to Consumer Sentinel and the bureau’s own data, the rate of fraud against seniors continues to rise. With Hawai‘i’s senior population growing faster than the rest of the country (State of Hawai‘i Executive Office on Aging report and the 2010 US Census Data), it is safe to say that Hawai‘i’s kupuna could use every extra set of eyes and ears to help watch over them.

Hawai‘i’s BBB, through the BBB Foundation of Hawai‘i, contributes to the protection of kupuna through various educational outreaches. It offers informational presentations to many senior clubs on O‘ahu and the Neighbor Islands. It also staffs a table at every major senior fair in the state. Additionally, it serves on the Advisory Council of the Executive Office on Aging’s Senior Medicare Patrol program.

Hawai‘i’s BBB is the first place you come to get the answers if:

  • You are looking for an ethical business to patronize
  • You are looking for an honorable charity
  • You have questions about the trustworthiness of a business or charity
  • You have questions about a letter, email or phone call you’ve received
  • You have a complaint against a business or charity you would like resolved

Just as the Hawaiian culture believes one’s life essence (i.e., spiritual energy and ancestral knowledge) can be transmitted through the sharing of the ha, Hawai‘i’s BBB believes that it facilitates the perpetuation of our local culture and protects kupuna through sharing knowledge with seniors and the next generation.


Better Business Bureau of Hawai‘i
1132 Bishop Street #615, Honolulu, HI 96813-2813
Phone & Phone Hours: 808-536-6956 (O‘ahu) | 877-222-6551 (Neighbor Islands) | 808-628-3970 (Fax) 9:00 am – 2:00 pm, Mon. – Thurs., 9:00 am – Noon, Friday
File Complaint: www.bbb.org/file-a-complaint/