Listen to the article
Hawaii Attorney General Warns Public About Man Falsely Posing as State Tech Officer
The Hawaii Department of the Attorney General issued a public warning last week about a man who has been falsely representing himself as Hawaii’s chief technology officer at major conferences and on professional networking platforms.
The impersonation came to light when an attendee at the 2026 Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas alerted authorities that Iqbal Khowaja was presenting himself as the “CTO of the State of Hawai’i.” The conference, which attracted more than 30,000 attendees, was just one venue where Khowaja allegedly misrepresented his position.
Toni Schwartz, spokesperson for the Hawaii AG’s office, confirmed the state does not have a chief technology officer position. Hawaii’s technology leadership is instead headed by Christine Sakuda, the state’s chief information officer who leads the Office of Enterprise Technology Services.
Upon verification of the allegations, the attorney general’s office sent Khowaja a cease and desist letter. Tom Alipio, chief of the state AG’s investigations division, emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating, “When someone falsely presents themselves as a government official, it raises serious concerns about fraud and public deception.”
Evidence of the impersonation includes photos released by the AG’s office showing Khowaja speaking on a women’s leadership in tech panel at January’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. During this appearance, a large screen behind him identified him as “CTO State of Hawaii.”
When contacted, Khowaja did not directly deny the impersonation allegations. In a written exchange over LinkedIn, he deflected, saying, “Regarding the confusion at the conference, it’s ironic, given how far behind government tech currently is, there’s practically nothing an impersonator could even ‘do’ with such a title.”
CES organizers distanced themselves from Khowaja, stating he “was not part of the official CES conference programming” and noting he attended as an industry attendee. They explained that exhibitors “may host independent sessions or forums” for which speakers “are not selected or vetted by CES.” The Hawaii Office of Enterprise Technology Service confirmed that none of their staff attended the conference.
Beyond conference appearances, Khowaja’s LinkedIn profile, which has more than 7,500 followers, explicitly stated, “I am currently the State Chief Technology Officer for the State of Hawaiʻi,” according to a screenshot taken by the AG’s office on April 29. By the following Friday, all references to Hawaii had been removed from his profile, which now describes him as an “enterprise CTO” based in San Francisco or Las Vegas.
Khowaja claimed to have attended the Bitcoin conference merely as a ticket holder, not as a speaker, and shared receipts of a free general admission pass as evidence. He also made unusual requests for media assistance, suggesting the accusations stemmed from “professional jealousy” and claiming he had legal support from the Nevada Attorney General’s Office, which did not respond to requests for verification.
The Hawaii AG’s office has not yet determined if Khowaja’s actions constitute a crime but is urging the public to come forward with any information about potentially fraudulent activities. “We put out a cautionary message for now and are encouraging people to come forward and let us know if he misled or scammed them in any way,” Schwartz said.
The case highlights growing concerns about impersonation scams. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, Americans lost nearly $800 million last year from scammers impersonating U.S. government officials through various communication channels.
Khowaja claims on his LinkedIn profile to hold an executive master’s degree in technology management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, though the university was unable to confirm his attendance due to privacy guidelines.
Fact Checker
Verify the accuracy of this article using The Disinformation Commission analysis and real-time sources.
24 Comments
Impersonating a government official is a serious offense that deserves swift action. I’m glad to see the Hawaii AG’s office taking this matter seriously and issuing a warning to the public. Maintaining transparency and accountability in public institutions is vital.
Agreed, this type of deception erodes public confidence in the government. The authorities should investigate the full scope of this individual’s activities and take appropriate legal action.
This is a concerning development, as it appears someone has been falsely representing themselves as a state government official. I hope the authorities are able to fully investigate this case and prevent any further misrepresentation.
Agreed. Impersonation of a public official is a serious matter that requires a firm response. The public deserves transparency and accountability from their government leaders.
It’s troubling to see someone allegedly impersonating a state technology officer. This kind of deception is unacceptable and can undermine public confidence. I’m glad the Hawaii AG is taking action to address this situation.
Absolutely. Maintaining the credibility of government roles is crucial, especially when it comes to sensitive areas like technology and data management. Decisive action is warranted in this case.
This case of impersonation is concerning. If someone misrepresents their position, it could undermine public trust and confidence in government agencies and officials. I hope the authorities can quickly resolve this situation and prevent any further misuse of the state’s identity.
Agreed, impersonating a public official is a serious matter that needs to be addressed. The public deserves transparency and honesty from those representing the government.
Impersonating a state government official is a serious offense that can have significant consequences. I’m glad the Hawaii AG is taking this situation seriously and taking action to stop the individual from further misrepresenting their position.
Agreed. Maintaining the integrity of government roles is essential, especially when it comes to technology and data management. This case serves as a reminder of the need for vigilance and transparency.
This is a troubling development, as it appears someone has been falsely claiming to be a state technology officer. I hope the authorities are able to fully investigate this case and prevent any further misrepresentation of government positions.
Absolutely. Impersonation of public officials can erode public trust and should be addressed swiftly. The Hawaii AG’s office is right to take this situation seriously and take action to stop the deception.
This case highlights the importance of verifying the credentials of individuals claiming to represent government agencies. I’m glad the Hawaii AG’s office is proactively addressing this issue to protect the public. Maintaining the integrity of public institutions is crucial for effective governance.
Absolutely, transparency and accountability are essential in the public sector. The authorities should investigate this matter thoroughly to ensure there are no further incidents of this nature.
This is a concerning case of impersonation, undermining public trust. It’s important the authorities take decisive action to stop this individual from misrepresenting their position and misleading the public. Maintaining transparency and accountability in government is crucial.
Agreed. Impersonating a government official is a serious offense that should be dealt with swiftly. The public needs to have confidence in the legitimacy of their state’s leadership.
It’s concerning to see someone falsely presenting themselves as a state technology officer. This kind of impersonation can undermine the public’s trust in government agencies and officials. I hope the Hawaii AG’s office is able to quickly resolve this situation and prevent any further misuse of the state’s identity.
This case highlights the importance of verifying the legitimacy of individuals claiming to represent the government. I commend the Hawaii AG’s office for swiftly addressing this impersonation issue and protecting the public’s trust.
Yes, it’s critical that the public can trust the individuals in positions of authority. Impersonation undermines that trust and should be addressed promptly.
Posing as a state technology officer is a brazen act of deception. I’m glad the Hawaii AG’s office is taking this situation seriously and issuing a cease and desist order. Impersonation erodes faith in public institutions.
Absolutely. Protecting the integrity of government roles is essential, especially when it comes to technology and data management. This individual’s actions undermine the public’s trust.
Falsely presenting oneself as a state government official is a clear abuse of public trust. I’m glad the Hawaii AG’s office is taking this issue seriously and issuing a cease and desist order. It’s important to maintain integrity in public institutions.
Absolutely, this kind of deception undermines the credibility of the state’s tech leadership. The authorities should investigate this matter thoroughly to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
This is a concerning case of identity fraud targeting Hawaii’s government. I hope the authorities are able to quickly identify the individual involved and prevent any further misuse of the state’s name and reputation. Public trust is crucial for effective governance.