PONO Legal quoted in Civil Beat article, “Protect Yourself: Scams Surge When Disaster Hits, Even In Hawaiʻi”

Executive Director Heidi Ho and Staff Attorney Hiʻilei K. Casco were directly quoted in Civil Beat’s article “Protect Yourself: Scams Surge When Disaster Hits, Even In Hawaiʻi”. The article states:

“Education is so key,” said Heidi Ho, executive director of a Maui-based legal nonprofit formed in the wake of the 2023 disaster to provide free legal advice to the community. “At least now we can hopefully get ahead of it.”

Ho and her organization, PONO Legal, are working with community organizers and officials on Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi island to support residents affected by recent disasters there. Addressing scams and fraud after the fact is difficult, so Ho said she hopes other islands can learn from survivors’ experience on Maui and increase public awareness before it’s too late. 

The article also provides:

Hiʻilei K. Casco, a staff attorney at PONO Legal, urged homeowners to trust their gut and pay attention to concerns about contractors, even if they’re in the middle of a build. If something seems to be going wrong, they should withhold payment until the issue is resolved, Casco said. 

“No concern is too small in these types of situations, especially after disasters where exploitation is much higher,” she said. “Homeowners’ funds are their greatest leverage.”

Read the article here: https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/09/protect-yourself-scams-surge-when-disaster-hits-even-in-hawaii/

This story is a collaboration between Honolulu Civil Beat and Inside Climate News, who also posted the article: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/28092026/how-to-protect-yourself-from-disaster-scams/