The Department of the Attorney General says the man claiming to be the state’s chief technology officer at national conferences and on online platforms is not affiliated with the state of Hawaii and is not authorized to represent any state agency.
According to a DAG news release, the department was recently alerted to an individual, Iqbal Khowaja, who falsely claimed that he was the “CTO of the State of Hawaii” at the Bitcoin 2026 Conference held April 27 to 29 at The Venetian in Las Vegas.
DAG states in the release that Khowaja has portrayed himself as Hawaii’s CTO at previous conferences and on social media profiles and that appropriate action is being taken to notify event organizers of the impersonator.
“We were alerted to this individual’s false claims and quickly took steps to verify the information and respond,” said Tom Alipio, chief of the Investigations Division in the Department of the Attorney General, in the release. “When someone falsely presents themselves as a government official, it raises serious concerns about fraud and public deception. Our priority is making sure the public is aware, takes appropriate caution and reports suspicious conduct before others are misled.”
Hawaii Chief Information Officer Christine Sakuda said, “This individual falsely claiming to be the state of Hawaii’s Chief Technology Officer has never been employed by the state or affiliated with the Office of Enterprise Technology Services. Misrepresentation of state leadership is unacceptable, and we urge organizers and the public to verify credentials before granting speaking platforms or trust.”
DAG urges residents, businesses and event organizers to:
- Use caution when approached with unsolicited business or investment opportunities tied to purported state affiliations
- Independently confirm claims through official state websites or direct agency contact before sharing information or entering into agreements
- Do not provide credit card numbers, bank account information or other personal information to anyone whose identity and affiliation cannot be confirmed through official sources
DAG encourages anyone who may have been targeted by Khowaja to report the incident to local law enforcement or to the DAG office by emailing [email protected].
(Department of the Attorney General)
