Latest news with #SiamImports
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Fake $100 bills made from real dollars, Hawaii experts warn
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Counterfeit cash is circulating through Hawaii, while Honolulu police data shows forgery cases are up in 2025. A local business owner who got burned and wants others to be on the lookout. Saying aloha: Siam Imports to shutter as neighborhood transforms A fake $100 bill — apparently made by bleaching a $1 bill and reprinting it with $100 markings — was recently passed to a longtime local business owner. 'And I had a couple other girls in here at the same time, so I didn't really closely look at the $100, which if I would have did that I could it probably prevented it,' said Kevin Costello, Siam Imports owner. Costello has owned Siam Imports for 28 years and will be closing up shop at the end of July. 'I'm so used to having good customers coming through my shop over the years that I get lackadaisical ago, sometimes,' he said. Check out more news from around Hawaii Honolulu police data shows counterfeiting and forgery in 2025 has spiked 16.5% compared to the same time in 2024. 'We're seeing more and more of these bleaching of dollar bills, and then they're being printed with 50 or 100 on them,' said Retail Merchants of Hawaii President Tina Yamaki. Experts said to always check if the blue strip on $100 dollar bills really is a hologram instead of a sticker. The pen to check counterfeits did not work for Costello. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news 'It still feels kind of like a paper bill because you're still using the same, you know, paper. It's like if you throw money through the wash. Right? It still feels like a bill, but we're seeing a lot more people now holding it up to the light, finding out that the pens don't always work,' Yamaki said. Both retail experts and affected businesses gave the advice to take the extra time to really get a look at those bigger bills since counterfeiting and forgery crime is on the rise in Honolulu. 'Just to be a little bit more vigilant when you are taking money. Even if your lines are long, be sure that you check your bills thoroughly,' Yamaki said. 'Take the extra couple seconds, actually, all it would've took,' Costello said. 'And hopefully by you guys doing this report, it prevents someone else from getting, taken by those same people or a group of people or whatever.' Stolen jewels, boa constrictors killing owners, check out The U.S. Secret Service website shows there are at least nine different indicators to tell if a $100 bill is fake, for more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Saying aloha: Siam Imports to shutter as neighborhood transforms
HONOLULU (KHON2) — A Moiliili institution is preparing to say goodbye after nearly three decades of serving the community. The small shop's closure is just part of the big changes sweeping through the neighborhood in the coming months. Ocean Safety rescues three teen kayakers amid heavy storms For 28 years, Siam Imports was more than just a store. It was a journey across continents, tucked inside a small shop in the heart of Moiliili. 'It's been a privilege to connect the small businesses in Thailand with the Hawaii customers,' said Kevin Costello, owner of Siam Imports. Costello first went to Thailand in 1988 and originally started as a wholesale business. He found the perfect spot for a store at Kuni Square on South King Street in 1997 and found a niche with his handmade products from India, Nepal and Thailand that couldn't be found anywhere else on the island.'The jewelry, the incense, the little gift items like these little purses, and little boxes, its just a super cool place,' said Donna Bender, who has been shopping at Siam Imports since it opened. 'So many of us are going to miss this place. We love it.' 'I was so sad. because he has such great products from around the world,' said Kathleen Talamantes, who lives on the mainland, but said she shops at the store every time she's in Hawaii. 'And just being here. [Costello] is part of Hawaii and that's a good thing.' Siam Imports will close its doors for good at the end of June. Not by choice, but circumstance. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news 'It's not so easy to find a good location that's comparable the rents are double, triple,' Costello said. Central Pacific Bank bought the property and gave businesses two years' notice. In a statement, CPB said it 'is working on a redevelopment project for the new Moiliili Branch that will enhance the area for the community.' They said the bank plans include public conference rooms and a meeting space where customers can host events. Right next door to Siam Imports is another local business saying farewell. After more than 28 years, Le Flowers is closing their doors at the end of May. 'I'm trying to make it a happy event, telling everybody this is just a new opportunity for us,' said Candice Le, owner of Le Flowers. 'We couldn't have asked for a better neighborhood, better place, better location. To the vendors, thank you to them.' Kona cyclist dies after rear-ending tour bus More change is found just across the street. Kamehameha Schools redevelopment is already reshaping the landscape, with some wondering what's being left behind. 'It's like the end of an era,' Bender said. 'We kinda knew this place was a one story area, so we kinda had a feeling they were gonna do something,' Le said. Construction on the bank is expected to begin this summer. CPB said they're open to working with tenants on transitional plans. But Le Flowers said they plan to retire. As for Siam Imports, Costello says he's not sure what's next for him, and gets a little emotional thinking about it. 'The last month or so has been kind difficult,' Costello said, stopping to hold back tears. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
