‘I trusted them’: Hawaii TV pioneer Linda Coble shares scam nightmare that cost her $60K
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Linda Coble is the last person you’d expect to be fooled by scammers.
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The 79-year-old made history as Hawaii’s first female TV newscaster in 1971 and built a successful career on sharing news and questioning everything.
But a recent experience with scammers has left her feeling “stupid” and “ashamed” after losing nearly $60,000.
She’s not alone. Hawaii residents lost nearly $80 million to fraud last year, a 25 percent jump from 2024. The number is likely higher because many victims are too embarrassed to report fraud.
That’s why Coble is putting aside her shame and opening up about how she was scammed, in hopes other kupuna won’t make the same mistakes she did.
It began in March, when Coble got a call from a man who identified himself as “Mike Diamond” and claimed to be from the U.S. Customs Office acting as an agent of a popular contest.
“I had won the sweepstakes at Publishers Clearing House, $5.5 million. And before they send me the check, I had all these steps to go through,” she recalled.
“How do you think I would feel? Well, I kind of dig it and I kind of believe it. Make A.”
Over several weeks, “Mike” walked her through everything, directing her to send checks and money orders to cover taxes and fees for the cash prize, and to keep everything a secret to not ruin the surprise.
When asked how the scammer won her trust, she said “consistency, friendship. He was very friendly on the phone, would call pretty much daily.”
The scam was so elaborate it also involved multiple calls with a woman who called herself “Gail O’Brien” and vouched for Mike’s character.
Coble also received letters and emails from people claiming to be “Mike’s” colleagues from the IRS and the U.S. Marshals Office. Coble says she didn’t feel the need to verify their identities or claims.
“I trusted them. They did a wonderful job of building that kind of familial kind of relationship through all the steps of my spending my money in order to win my prize that would be unveiled at the Bank of Hawaii,” she said.
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The scammers even mailed her what looks like a cashier’s check for $5.5 million to give the illusion it was the real thing. Her bank said it was “phony.”
“I was overwhelmed with kindness, support. encouragement, excitement constantly from the scammers, and I didn’t realize that I had already made such a mistake,” Coble said. “I was embarrassed to tell anybody.”
Only until she ran out of money and was asked to send another $20,000 to insure her supposed winnings did she finally realize she was being scammed.
At that point, she says she had given about $60,000 to the scammers, and they wanted more.
“I had to take my IRA out of my account and put it in the bank. I had to cancel my Prudential and put all that money in the bank, money I had saved and earned. And now it’s gone.”
“I should have called my friends, my family. I should have called the bank,” she said.
Hawaii News Now called the number Coble used in her multiple conversations with “Mike Diamond” but there was no answer or voice recording.
Coble says her bank advised her to stop all communication with the scammers. They continue to call her, but she ignores them.
She says it’s an expensive lesson she hopes others can learn from.
“I’m proud to have the guts to share. It’s important that if I made A, I wanna share it so you don’t,” she said.
FBI and Federal Trade Commission data show Hawaii ranks fifth in the country for per-capita losses to scams.
If you are dealing with a scam, contact:
The AARP Fraud Watch Network provides free tools and support to help people spot and avoid fraud, including:
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