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Question: There’s a scam going on that anyone who uses a HOLO Card for TheBus or Skyline needs to know about. There’s an app on Google Play called “HOLO Card Balance” where supposedly you can check your balance and top off your card. Don’t download this app! It’s not a real HOLO app. I had two credit cards breached and the fraud investigators are dealing with activity in Panama and Cypress; I have to get new credit cards. I called HOLO and they said they’re aware of it and they put a complaint into Google Play also but the app is still up. I worry that other people on the island will get scammed. Answer: We shared you concern with the city Tuesday, which responded the same day confirming that it is trying to get the app taken down. Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services, which oversees TheBus and Skyline, both of which accept fare payments via HOLO Card, emphasized key points to help Oahu mass-transit users avoid fraud: >> There is no official HOLO Card mobile application in the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. >> All legitimate online activities related to the HOLO Card, including checking balances, reloading funds or registering a card, must be done at holocard.net. >> DTS is trying to get the “HOLO Card Balance” app removed from Google Play. It is not affiliated with Oahu’s transit system. >> Transit riders should avoid third-party apps that request HOLO credentials or payment information. “The HOLO Card system is a trusted and secure way to pay for transit across Oahu. Unfortunately, this unauthorized app is misleading users and potentially exposing them to scams. We want to remind the public that the only legitimate site for managing HOLO accounts is www.holocard.net. DTS has reported the fraudulent app to Google and is working to have it removed as quickly as possible,” DTS Director Roger Morton said in an email. Users have reported that the app asks for HOLO account credentials and, in some cases, credit card information — leading to spam or fraudulent charges, he said. The app is not affiliated with DTS, the city, or its HOLO partners, Morton said. The City and County of Honolulu owns the copyright and trademark for the HOLO Card and operates the HOLO smart transit payment system through www.holocard.net. According to its description on Google Play, more than 5,000 people have downloaded the app the reader reported, which has multiple negative reviews describing it as a scam, dating back to 2023. Users of any errant app should report the problem to Google Play, which the reader who called Kokua Line said he had done. Leaving a user review as well “serves as a public platform for sharing your personal experience with an app or game, aiming to help other users make informed decisions about what to download or purchase,” according to Google Play’s instructions for reporting complaints. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! To the three angels who appeared as I was struggling with my sister, who had lost control of her legs in the parking lot at Don Quijote on Saturday. They helped call the fireman from the station and carried her to the car. She regained the use of her legs by the time we got to emergency room and all testing was good. — Gratefully, Seniors up and about Thanksgiving column All are welcome to submit short expressions of gratitude for Kokua Line’s special Thanksgiving Day Mahalo column, an annual tradition that highlights the ways people make life better for one other and the wider world. We love the variety of submissions received so far, so please keep them coming. Whether thanking a friend or a stranger, share your good news! Emailed submissions are preferred, to kokualine@staradvertiser.com. Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
