A Hawai'i health maintenance organization is warning of a scam involving fake checks of as much as $3,900.

AlohaCare spokesman George Irion said the nonprofit with 70,000 members first learned of the scam when a North Carolina resident inquired about a check bearing AlohaCare's name.

An accompanying letter asked the recipient to purchase items, conduct money transactions, complete a survey and call a Mainland phone number.

Irion says AlohaCare alerted federal law enforcement officials.

He says this week, a Hawai'i resident received a similar fake check and letter, and Honolulu police were alerted.

Irion says he suspects that when recipients call the Mainland number, they are asked to provide their own money to complete the scam.