Tour & Activity Scams in Kona, USA

How it works

Street-level kiosks along Ali'i Drive in Kailua-Kona offer free or heavily discounted activity vouchers — snorkel gear, whale watching, or helicopter tours — in exchange for attending a "short 90-minute resort presentation." The presentation is a high-pressure timeshare sales session that routinely runs three to five hours. Sales agents are trained to isolate couples, wear down resistance through extended back-and-forth with managers, and pressure visitors into signing financial commitments on the spot. Victims frequently report losing an entire vacation day.

How it works

Kona's manta ray night snorkel and dive sites off the Kohala Coast — particularly the site known as "Manta Heaven" near the Sheraton Kona — attract dozens of tour boats nightly. Unlicensed operators without valid Coast Guard permits or Hawaii DLNR commercial use authorizations have been documented running trips at cut-rate prices. Customers of operators like the now-documented "Neptune Charlies/Manta Ray Dives" reported unlicensed vessels, broken safety equipment, and no recourse when seeking refunds because the company was unregistered. One operator (Big Island Mantas) was reported to Kona Police for theft.

How it works

Budget volcano tour operators targeting visitors wanting to see Kilauea or active lava flows at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park have been reported for misrepresenting what their tours include, charging premium prices for van transport that drops visitors at the park entrance (which costs $35 per vehicle and is publicly accessible), and refusing refunds when volcanic activity doesn't cooperate. Some operators book tours weeks in advance without clear cancellation policies during periods when lava is not actively flowing.

How it works

Big Island helicopter tour operators departing from Kona Airport and Hilo Airport have been reported for quoting base prices and then adding mandatory fees at check-in — including "fuel surcharges," "door removal fees," and front-seat upgrade charges of $50–$150 demanded after tourists have already traveled to the helipad. In documented cases, customers were charged $80 more per person than their booking confirmation stated, and operators refused refunds because the tour was about to depart.