Street Scams in Kauai, USA
Pickpockets, distraction thieves, fake petitions, and street hustles in tourist areas. Below are the street scams scams reported in Kauai — how they work and how to avoid them.
For broader context, compare this scam type with nearby destinations like New York, Tijuana, and Cozumel.
Last updated: April 9, 2026
3
Street Scams Scams
10
Total in Kauai
How it works
Ke'e Beach at the end of Kuhio Highway (Route 560) in Haena State Park requires an advance reservation through the Hawaii DLNR's GoReserveHawaii system; parking is included in the $35 per-vehicle reservation fee. Opportunistic individuals have been reported positioning themselves near the Haena State Park entrance and along the final stretch of Route 560 presenting themselves as "fee collectors" or "parking attendants" and demanding cash payments from arriving vehicles. The State of Hawaii does not collect fees at the roadside — all transactions are online-only.
How it works
Kauai's single-road access to the North Shore via Kuhio Highway (Route 56/560) is subject to periodic real closures from flooding and rockfall, creating an environment where misinformation spreads easily. Tourists have reported individuals — both in person and through unofficial-looking handwritten signs near Princeville — claiming that the highway to Hanalei or Ke'e Beach is closed and directing traffic to private property access points or paid parking areas. In some cases, "local guides" have charged fees of $20–50 per vehicle to escort visitors along supposedly open alternate routes that are simply standard roads.
How it works
Individuals in tourist areas of Kapaa and near the Coconut Marketplace approach visitors with unsolicited gifts — a shell lei, a homemade CD of Hawaiian music, or a small carved trinket — then immediately demand payment or a "donation to a local Hawaiian cultural foundation," sometimes becoming aggressive when refused. A variation involves vendors at the Kapaa Craft Fair and Hanalei Farmers Market selling items represented as locally handmade Hawaiian art that are commercially imported goods marked up by 300–500%.
See all scams in Kauai
10 total warnings across all categories