23/11/2025

This scan was received 22 November 2025 as a email – I found it in my email Junk Folder

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03/10/2025

The Team from New Zealand Police

Police have released a suite of resources to help increase awareness about what to do in the unlikely event of an active armed attack in a crowded place.

This work is about protecting the lives of people working in, using, and visiting crowded places – places we go as part of our everyday routine, from our favourite mall to a weekend market or a large sporting event.

“The nature of crowded places means they at times can pose extra risks, as they can be a target for attacks,” says Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson. “While there is always the possibility of a Crowded Places attack, Police, together with businesses, will continue to work together to prevent this from occurring.

“Like anything we do, it’s important to have plans in place. The goal is that none of us will ever need to use this information. It’s about being prepared so people know what to do should something of this nature happen.

Remember three simple words: 
⭕ Escape.
⭕ Hide.
⭕ Tell. 

That means moving quickly and quietly away from danger, staying out of sight, silencing your phone and — when it is safe to do so — calling Police on 111.

Copied from Neighbourly. 03/10/2025

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01/10/2025

  85-year-old’s warning about scammers ‘They are   plausible and unscrupulous’:

. . .  which has left her distrusting people and struggling to sleep.

The Ashburton woman hopes her story will prevent others from falling victim to the same scam that nearly cost her.

It started with an early evening telephone call to her landline, supposedly from the bank.

The person told Florence he was David Williams from her bank, calling in regards to hundreds of dollars of withdrawals made on her Visa card to two individuals in the United States.

He wanted to check her details were correct as the bank believed she had been scammed.

“When they told me not to tell anyone about the phone call that should have alerted me,” she said.

“They are very, very clever, they are plausible and unscrupulous.”

She was informed that ‘Nicholas’ from the security department would phone her back and she was only to talk to him.

She spent three hours on the call, during which time her children phoned.

She told them she could not speak as she was busy.

She told her daughter the bank thought she was being scammed, but it was okay as a man was remotely working on her computer to sort things.

“I told the man: ‘I didn’t know that I should be talking to him, so I would ring him back’.”

He gave her an 0800 number to call and said they had to be quick as they only had 24 hours to act in situations like this.

She was asked if she had a computer.

“Yes I do, but I am not very good with it,” she said.

He said he would talk her through what they needed to do.

“The caller frequently used the word ‘fraud’ and their rhetoric was very convincing,” Florence said.

He wanted to set up a time to call back the next day, but she said she had a family function to attend.

So she was told to go to Woolworths and purchase a $1000 Apple gift voucher.

The cost would be reimbursed. The caller said staff at Woolworths would query the voucher.

“Because you are going to the family event you can tell them it’s for your family member,” he said.  

He said he would ring back at 9pm that night which he did.   

Once at Woolworths, and after asking for a voucher without stating an amount, a senior staff member said they did not have any vouchers as they had been withdrawn due to scams.

By the next day her daughter had frozen her bank accounts.

Despite her family telling her they were trying to scam her, the woman still did not believe it.

“I couldn’t believe that I was nearly scammed as I know about scamming.

“I had read James Meager’s article about scamming in The Ashburton Courier only days earlier,” she said.

She went to her bank to ensure her accounts were safe.

Her bank said they can see up to 10 people a week who were scammed or came close to being scammed.

The bank encouraged her to talk about her story to help alert others to the possibility of being scammed.

But this time, fortunately, no money had been taken, though her computer had been hacked.

Incredulously, ‘Nicholas’ rang at the arranged time that day. She told him the bank had been contacted then hung up.

Lesley Symington, co-ordinator for Safe Communities, said they have partnered with Ashburton District Neighbourhood Support, Ashburton Library, Ashburton SeniorNet and Mid Canterbury Citizens Advice Bureau to update and re-release a flyer with information about scams for the community.

“We are aware that many people are ashamed about being scammed and also don’t know where to go for help and advice. There is also a lot of varied and confusing information out there,” Symington said.

The flyer has basic information on how to know if you have been or are being scammed, tips on how to protect yourself, where to go for advice and support, and where to report a scam. 

Copied from Star Times 15/09/2025

If you believe you may be a victim of a scam, contact the Police by calling 105 or report it online at 105.police.govt.nz/use-105

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Please warn your friends and family about any type of scam that you hear about.

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18/09/2025

Scam Alert: Fake political endorsement of investment scams 

 Images and deepfake videos of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Elon Musk are used to send people to fake online news stories promoting investment scams.

Examples of fake news stories include: 

•  Claims that New Zealanders will receive “income” or “dividend” payments from Inland Revenue Department (IRD). The IRD has  confirmed these claims are false. There is no pool of tax funds becoming available for distribution to New Zealanders.

•  Claims that pension payments have been cancelled. These stories are designed to promote fear about the stability of New  Zealand’s superannuation system. 

•  Claims that the government has significantly lowered the retirement age. 

•  Claims that the government or politicians are endorsing specific investment opportunities for New Zealanders. 

More information can be found here.
If you get suspicious communication, please contact Netsafe.

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30/11/2024

SPCA – ALERT: FRAUDULENT PHONE CALLS 

We’re aware of fraudulent phone calls being made around New Zealand, from one or multiple people pretending to be SPCA staff and/or veterinarians.

The caller appears to be targeting pet owners who have lost their animals, stating that the animals are being held by them, and that payment in the hundreds of dollars (to be paid over the phone) is required to retrieve them.

These callers are not affiliated with SPCA. If your animal is found by SPCA, we will never request payment in this way.

If you receive a call like this, we urge you not to provide any payment over the phone and report the call to Netsafe.

You can find information about how to do so here.

(Copied from Neighbourly Website 26/11/2024)

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22/11/2024

Warnings about scams – New Zealand Police Community Organisation

This scam has been copied from the Neighbourly website.

This Fraud Awareness Week, we’re reminding everyone to stay sharp and look out for the warning signs of scams to stop them before they start.

Here’s what to watch out for:
🔍 Unrealistic offers or promises of easy money that are too good to be true
🔍 Pressure tactics: Scammers may rush or threaten you to act immediately.
🔍 Requests for personal info: Be cautious if you’re asked for bank details, passwords, or sensitive information.
🔍 Unusual payment methods like gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.
🔍 Unverified contacts: Emails, calls, or messages from unknown or suspicious sources.

How to protect yourself:
✅ Stop and think before sharing personal details or making payments.
✅ Don’t click on any links until you know that it is safe.
✅ Verify the source: Contact the organisation directly using official channels.
✅ If something’s not right, it’s OK to hang up, walk away, ignore it and move on.

If you wish to report a scam, contact Police on 105 or report it online via 105.police.govt.nz/use-105.

09/11/2024

This scam has been detected by one of our diligent SeniorNet members “Here’s another one that some of our members might get caught out by as lots of them will have bought stuff at PB Tech. DO NOT CLICK ON THE BLUE BUTTON

09/11/2024

Prevent parcel theft this Christmas – The team from New Zealand Police

We’re heading into the busiest time of year for postal deliveries and Police want to remind everyone to do what they can to stop parcel theft. 

Coming into Christmas there are more parcels being delivered, and more chance for your presents to be stolen. 
Thieves will take any opportunity to steal, and parcels left on front doorsteps or in apartment building common areas are an easy target. 

Our advice is: 
📦 Get packages delivered to a place where someone will be home to receive them, or to a work address. 
📦 If you do have deliveries made to your home, make sure you’re going to be home to sign for them, or have a secure location where they can be left. 
📦 Make sure your delivery instructions are clear, and ask for packages not to be placed at your front door, or on top of an apartment building post box. 
📦 If you’re not going to be home when the parcel is delivered, arrange to collect your parcel from the depot, or have the parcel redirected to the address of someone you trust. 
📦 Be smart when disposing of packaging, so passers-by can’t see what you’ve been buying. 
📦 Report any suspicious behaviour to Police – e.g. if you see a car following a courier van, or an unexpected visitor knocks on your door asking for someone you don’t know. call 105, or report it with us online at 105.police.govt.nz

01/11/2024

Beware

Online Shopping warning – The Team from New Zealand Police

As we come up to the festive season, a lot of us want to shop online and look for good bargains 🛍️🛒

Here’s a few tips to help you stay safe, avoid buying stolen property, and not get taken advantage of:
💸  If it is too good to be true, it probably is, or it could be stolen property.
💸  If it’s being sold as new, ask for the receipt for the warranty. If they can’t provide it, that’s a red flag.
💸  Check the seller’s profile, is it new or relatively blank?
💸  If you make a purchase and need to meet somebody to get it, choose somewhere well-lit and well populated in public, near CCTV. If it has to be somebody’s home, take someone with you and let someone else know where you’re going and when.
💸  Be especially cautious when buying power tools or high-end toy brick building block sets.

Sadly, if you unknowingly buy stolen property, you’re aiding criminals and inadvertently supporting them to steal more.
If you find a suspect listing or social media scam, call 105, or report it with us online at 105.police.govt.nz

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25/10/2024

This scam email was not from the BNZ but from a personal email address –  4792beatrizalves@aefrazao.pt

So, BNZ email shown below is a SCAM – ‘DO NOT PHONE back’ as they will ask for your Bank number and password and take all the money in the account, transferring it to the scammers overseas account.

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19/10/2024

Five Different types of Scams to be aware of;

Text Scams 

1 Was the sender unfamiliar to you?
Often, scam messages will come from a number you don’t recognise. They might look like they’re from a business or organisation you know, but they’ll be sent from what looks like a personal phone number.

2 Are you being asked to take action?
Scam messages usually say you need to do something urgently — like make a payment or confirm your account details. It’s usually not something you were expecting to get a message about, but it sounds important.

3 Is there a link in the message?
The message will often ask you to click on a link, so you can take the action the sender wants — whether that’s giving them personal details or paying for something you didn’t ask for.

Email Scams

1 Was the sender unfamiliar to you?
Check the email address of the sender – it might look like it’s come from a business or organisation you know, but if you check the sender’s address it might not look quite right – for example, ‘accounts@bnz.org.nz’ instead of the usual .co.nz address.

2 Are you being asked to take action?
Scam emails usually say you need to do something urgently – like make a payment or confirm your account details. It’s usually not something you were expecting to get an email about, but it sounds important.

3 Is there a link in the email?
The email will often ask you to click on a link, so you can take the action the sender wants – whether that’s giving them personal details or paying for something you didn’t ask for.

Social Media Scam

1 Has someone asked you for money on social media?
Social media scammers will often pose as someone you know and tell you they’re in trouble, to see if you’ll give them money to help them out.

2 Have you bought something on social media but not received it?
Scammers use social media to make money by offering goods for sale that don’t actually exist – often through the marketplace or ads for a fake shopping site. And, if you try to contact them about a purchase you’ve made, you don’t hear back from them.

3 Has someone you know contacted you to say they think your account has been hacked?
Sometimes, you won’t know anything’s gone wrong with your account unless someone contacts you to say they’ve received an odd message from you. If a scammer has accessed your account, they might be using it to try to scam other people.

Phone Scam

1 Did the phone call come out of the blue?
Scam phone calls are often unexpected, or they’ll be from a company you don’t normally deal with. Sometimes a scammer will contact you and ask you to call them back – or you might see an ad on a website saying you’ve got a virus, and to call them to sort it out.

2 Did the caller ask for access to your computer, or personal information?
Scammers will often say they need to download something to your computer, and they’ll ask you to give them access to it. Or they’ll ask you to share the login details for some of your accounts so they can fix a problem for you.

3 Did it seem urgent?
Scam callers will usually claim you have an issue that needs to be fixed urgently, and will make it seem like it’s important to get it sorted straight away

Website Scam

1 Do the prices or products on the website look too good to be true?
Often, scam sites will be selling goods at a much lower price than you’ve seen them on other websites or in store. They might also have loads of 5 star reviews that seem fake.

2 Does the website content or the web address seem wrong somehow?
Some scam sites might not be as professional as you’d expect. You might see it has bad spelling, broken links, social media links that don’t work, missing pages, or a web address (the URL) that just doesn’t seem quite right. And if they do have social media pages, they probably won’t have many followers.

3 Do the contact details for the company look out of date or dodgy?
The contact details for scam websites – like their physical address, email address or phone number – will often either not work, or be missing altogether. .

Copied off CERTNZ website 16/10/2024

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10/09/2024

CERTNZ:  Lost money in a scam? Don’t fall for this common tactic

If you or someone you love has lost money to a scam and posted about it online, be wary of anyone who reaches out and offers to help recover the funds.

Have you or someone you love lost money to a scam and posted about it online i.e. Facebook? 

If so, be wary of anyone who reaches out and offers to help recover the funds.  

These people will claim to be from a trusted organisation— such as the police, the fraud team at your bank or a “recovery agency,” or they may say they know an “expert” who helped them when they got scammed. 

In reality, they are fraudsters who found out about your financial loss from your social media posts — or from other scammers — and are looking to scam you again. 

Read the full CERTNZ article: Click Here

Whilst online also scroll down and read: Protect yourself from recovery room scams

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A warning about ‘latest round of email scams’

Police are warning people to be on alert for the latest round of email scams referencing Police and other justice agencies.

The email claims authorities have done a search of the email recipient’s computer and located explicit illegal material.

The recipient is directed to reply within 72 hours, or a warrant will be issued for their arrest. This email is a scam and anyone who receives it should not reply under any circumstances.

Although some versions of the email do not specifically reference money, other similar scams involve the recipient being issued a ‘fine’ when they respond.

While the nature and specific details of scams often varies, it’s important to note that Police and other government agencies will never contact you out of the blue and ask for your password, credit card or bank details.

Police have received several reports of this scam and enquires are underway.

Anyone who received this email can either forward the spam email to the Department of Internal Affairs directly at complaint@spam.govt.nz or use their online reporting portal: www.reportspam.co.nz…

Police recommend taking a cautious approach to unsolicited emails. Trust your gut instinct – if it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.

Information on other scams currently operating can be found on the Consumer Protection NZ website: www.consumerprotection.govt.nz…

Consumer Protection NZ, along with Netsafe, also provides helpful advice about keeping safe online.

Anyone who has received this email can report it to police online via www.police.govt.nz…. Please reference file number 240830/5842.

28/08/2024

A warning about ‘Task Scams’ in Wellington

The Team from Wellington District Police. (- click on will go to Neighbourly website)
Police are aware of reports emerging in the Wellington police district where people have lost money though a “Task Scam”. A Task Scam is a form of online fraud where individuals are deceived into completing tasks under the belief they are in employment.

Sergeant Rowen Steenkamp, Wellington Police says “Most online scams request money or personal information, Task Scams are more deceptive, requiring you to complete activities that seem easy or attainable. These include such things as, writing a specified number of online reviews for consumables like luxury travel packages, household products and cosmetics.

Sergeant Steenkamp says at least eight cases have been reported to date in Wellington including some involving significant financial losses, which includes two cases where the victims have lost in excess of $100k (137,000 and 105,000).

“In the recent cost of living crisis, we’ve seen an increase in people having second jobs or side hustles. As a result, what is known as a Task Scam has emerged as a particularly deceptive threat.

“These scams imitate legitimate earning opportunities, with the ability to seemingly work around your lifestyle when and how you please.”

Wellington-based man *Peter is speaking out to help prevent others falling into the same trap. *Peter lost nearly $22,000 to a Task Scam last month. He was lured in by the chance of some easy money and regrets his decision.

*Peter says it’s the first time he’d ever been scammed and never expected he would fall for it.

“I have lost a significant amount of my life savings, I had to stop ‘working the task’ because I had no money left.

“But then my (fake) “supervisor” encouraged me to borrow money from a friend, or to apply for a loan from a bank, or online loan website.

“They build trust, they monitor your progress like any other good manager would. They offer advice, before requesting more and more financial investments to enable you to move through to reviewing higher value items, it’s very convincing.”

“I urge people to be very careful online and avoid any schemes which offer easy cash,” he says.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐦?
Scammers are using various online platforms, from reputable job websites to social media channels, to unsolicited approaches on chat platforms.

“The scam operates on the allure of easy money. These offers typically promise high returns for simple tasks, instantly sounding appealing. In recent cases we have seen people offered $200-500 for 30 online product reviews, with higher-end items such a cruises claiming to provide even higher rates of commission,” says Sergeant Steenkamp.

The victim is assigned a manager who contacts them via Whatsapp, Telegram or Messenger using spoofing websites.

Spoofing is where someone disguises an email address, phone number, or website URL to appear to be from a local, trusted source.

The most enticing piece of these scams is the lure of easy money. Victims are promised hefty commissions upon completion of tasks. However, in most cases, they pay large sums of money to completing ‘training’, or to enable them to progress to the next task.

These are more often paid into crypto wallets or offshore bank accounts and the money is never seen again,” says Sergeant Steenkamp.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐬:
The consequence of falling for a task scam is often huge financial loss. Recently, we have seen losses ranging from $7000 – $120,000. Globally, victims are thought to have lost more than $185 million.

In addition, the emotional and psychological distress, the feelings of betrayal and deception can have a lasting effect.

Remember this advice to help keep yourself safe:

• Confirm job offers: Thoroughly research the company and confirm the job exists, especially if you are approached via social media or chat platforms.

• The saying rings true: If it seems too good to be true, it usually is. Be cautious of earning high money for little effort.

• Ask other opinions: Ask your friends or whanau their thoughts on the job offers, a second set of eyes my see something you don’t.
 
If you are in the unfortunate position of being a victim of a scam, please report the matter to Police.

Take the chance to upskill yourself on scam awareness, check for further information on the Netsafe website: netsafe.org.nz…

*Peter is not the victim’s real name

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02/08/2024

Text Message Scam

This is a Text Message I received – It is a Scam – no NZ Post logo, and the sender address is NOT from a company

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16/08/2024

Types of Scams and Fraud – NZ Police Article

Scams and fraud

Scams are intended to manipulate or trick people into giving away their personal details, financial details, or money. A scam becomes fraud when the individual responsible for the scam gets and uses someone’s personal, financial details or money under false pretences, for their own gain. Fraud is a criminal offence.

Common types of scams

Scams and fraud can affect anyone at any time so being aware of what to look for and knowing what to do is important to protect yourself and your family. There are lots of different types of scams. Some of the most common ones we see are:

Phishing

Phishing is a type of email scam, where the sender pretends to be a trustworthy organisation – like a bank, government agency or shipping company – to try to get you to give them personal information, like the login details for your internet banking.

Social media scams

Social media scams happen when someone tries to get money from you through an interaction on social media. They might pretend to be someone you know, and they’ll ask you directly for money. For example, they’ll say that they need money to help them get home as they’re stuck somewhere with no access to funds, or that they need to pay for unexpected medical costs. Alternatively, they might be someone you’re talking to about buying or selling something on a social media marketplace.

Invoice scams

Invoice scams affect both individuals and businesses. Scammers will send fake invoices requesting payment for goods or services that you didn’t ask for or receive. They often say that the due date for payment has passed, or that your credit rating will be affected if they’re not paid.

Scam phone calls

While scam calls are not quite as common as they used to be, they do still happen so it’s good to be aware of how they work. Scammers will call you at home pretending to be from a well-known company, like:

• a tech company like Microsoft, or
• a mobile phone provider, like One NZ.

They’ll ask you to give them remote access to your PC or device, claiming they need to repair an issue, or install a software update or an app on it. Their goal is to try to gain access to the private information you hold on your device, like your financial information.

Money and investment scams

This type of scam is common online. Scammers will attempt to get you to part with money or valuable information under the false assumption that you’ll receive financial or personal gain in return. These scams can include ‘get rich quick’ schemes like:

• the Nigerian prince scam
• ponzi schemes
• unexpected prizes, and
• fake auctions.

Romance scams

In romance scams, scammers will try to take advantage of someone looking for a relationship online. Scammers will use dating sites and apps or social media to build a relationship with you. Once they’ve gained your trust, the scammer will start to ask you for money, gifts or personal details that can be used to commit fraud. They often use fake profiles to make it harder to track them down.

Text message scams

Text message scams (sometimes called ‘smishing scams’ or SMS scams) are messages sent out by scammers who are looking to get access to your personal information, financial details, phone, or your money.

Money Mules

A money mule is someone who transfers illegally acquired money on behalf of someone else. They help launder the proceeds derived from online scams and fraud by allowing their personal bank account to receive money before the money mule transfers the money.

If you are receiving money into your account from people, you have not met and don’t know and sending the money on – you are a money mule and you could be arrested and prosecuted for Money Laundering.

• Find out more about Money Mules and how to protect yourself (PDF 2.6MB)

Where to report

Different organisations cover specific areas of content and have a role to play in protecting people from online scams, spam and fraud.

The Team from New Zealand Police. – This is a active link to Police

• Where to report spam, scams and fraud (PDF page 135KB)

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Dated 01/08/2024

Scam phone calls – be vigilant

The Team from New Zealand Police. – This is a active link to Police

Police are aware of reports emerging overnight where people have received a phone call from someone claiming to be a Police officer.

The officer will claim to be from a particular department, tell you that you have been a victim of fraud or scam, and begin to try and obtain further financial information from you.

People have been directed to go to the bank and withdraw money for evidence of the scam.
This is a scam – no legitimate Police officer will ever ask you to hand over money for any reason.

Overnight we have had five instances of this being reported, people need to be vigilant.
Enquiries into reports of scams of a similar nature received last week remain ongoing.

We appreciate these scammers are convincing, but New Zealand Police will never contact you and ask you to withdraw money. New Zealand Police will also never contact people seeking their banking details, card numbers, PIN or passwords.

Older members of our community are being targeted and Police urge anyone with elderly or vulnerable relatives to make them aware this activity is a scam.

There are instances where legitimate Police officers will contact you as part of their duties.

Remember:
• Police will never ask for details about your bank cards, PIN or passwords over the phone.
• Trust your instincts.
• If something doesn’t feel right, or is too good to be true, it probably is.
• If you are uncertain, ask for the officer’s details.
• Hang up, contact 105 and request the officer to contact you.
• Police aren’t in the business of offering prize money.

If you are in the unfortunate position of being a victim of a scam, please report the matter to Police.

Take the chance to upskill yourself on scam awareness, check for further information on the Netsafe website: netsafe.org.nz…

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Neighbourly reported 2 scams that are active in Wellington

NZTA / Waka Kotahi scam:

NZTA / Waka Kotahi scam:
– The scam is a text message saying it’s from New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, and it encourages the recipient to pay an overdue road toll by visiting a fake website, threatening to take the matter to court within 15 days if they don’t pay up.
– The aim is to trick people into giving away their personal details or pay them money.
– While it is not the first time toll payments have been utilised by scammers, the threat of court action could see more people fall victim.
– The sender will either be a unknown phone number or unknown email address.
Want to report one of these scams? Do so, on Netsafe

NZ Post scam:

– This scam arrives by test message and says it’s from NZ Post.
– The premise is that delivery of your parcel was unsuccessful so in order to rearrange delivery. you must click on a link to give your correct address.
– The aim is to trick people into giving away their personal details or pay them money.
– NZ Post advises people not to click the link, but to report the message to the Department of Internal Affairs by forwarding it to 7726.
Think you may have fallen prey to a scam? Get in touch with Netsafe or contact your bank if it involved your bank details.

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20/06/2024

CertNZ.  Alerts

CertNZ  highlight current security threats in New Zealand, and provide guidance on what to do if they affect you

“Mum I dropped my phone” SMS scam targeting New Zealanders

New Zealanders are being targeted in a text message phishing campaign. The messages claim to be from your children or other family members. The messages will claim their phone has been damaged and they need you to contact them on a new mobile number.  

If responded to, scammers will ask for bank account details and/or credit card details so they can purchase a new mobile phone.What to look for – How to tell if you’re at risk

If you receive an unsolicited text message that claims to be from your child or other family member.

Just receiving the text message does not mean you are at risk, however, responding can increase your riskWhat to do – Prevention

Do not respond to the message. If you are worried that it may genuinely be from a family member, contact them on their regular number first to check. If you can’t get hold of them through normal means, you could also try contacting a close friend to check.

If you suspect the message is a scam, forward it free-of-charge to 7726. This is a service run by the Department of Internal Affairs. They will reply and ask for the phone number that sent it.

– Mitigation

If you have responded to the message, do not provide your credit card details or bank account details.

If you have already paid any money, then immediately contact your bank. The sooner you do it, the more likely the bank can reverse the charges and potentially stop any future payments the scammers may set up.

Also report the mobile number to CERT NZ either on our website or contact us on 0800 CERTNZ.

Report an incident to CERT NZ

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DATED – 17/05/2024

Wellington Police warn about a local scam

A new scam is circulating which is catching people out. Wellington Police have issued a statement in the hopes of stopping community members falling victim to it.

Police are warning people to be wary of a WhatsApp scam following an increase in reports of this happening in the Wellington District. In this case scammers use WhatsApp to impersonate family members or friends in saying they need help and in particular need money.    

Victims of this scam have received a message from an unknown number, claiming to be a loved one who has just lost their phone and got a replacement.
The scammer then attempts to obtain the victim’s credit card information. READ MORE at Police webpage

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DATED – 11/04/2024

Scammers posing as Police officers

The Team from New Zealand Police

Be aware, pesky phone scammers’ latest move may be posing as Police officers seeking your financial details.

New Zealand Police are aware of reports emerging this month where Kiwis have been contacted on the phone by someone claiming to be an officer. The officer will claim to be from a particular department, tell you that you have been a victim of fraud or scam, and begin to try and obtain further financial information from you. This is a scam.

Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Bolton, from Auckland City’s Financial Crime Unit, says there have been at least a dozen reports made to Police, and these scam calls are largely being made to landlines. “While Police do not have accurate numbers of how many of these scam calls have been received, it is important that the public are aware,” he says. “Police will make some enquiries into these calls, but our experience has shown that often phone-based scammers will be operating from overseas. “We appreciate the vigilance of those who have contact Police so far, as this will help us to make others in the community aware.”

Unfortunately, scams can take many different forms and target victims on different platforms, Detective Senior Sergeant Bolton says. “Scammers are opportunistic and thrive off your trust and good-will. If you receive a call of this nature, do not hand over any personal details.”
New Zealand Police will never contact people seeking their banking details, card numbers, pin numbers or passwords. There are instances where legitimate Police officers will contact you as part of their duties. Police ask that the public remain vigilant. READ MORE at Police webpage

𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿:

➡️Police will never ask for details about your bank cards, pin numbers or passwords over the phone.

➡️Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, or is too good to be true, it probably is.

➡️If you are uncertain, ask for the officer’s details. Hang up, contact 105 and request the officer to contact you.

➡️Police aren’t in the business of offering prize money.

If you are in the unfortunate position of being a victim of a scam, please report the matter to Police.
Take the chance to upskill yourself on scam awareness, check for further information on the Police website.

𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗺:
Police are also aware of an email scam that has re-emerged, that claims to be authorities from Police and other justice sector partners. This scam has been subject of previous advisories. We continue to advise people to be extremely cautious when receiving unsolicited emails. Do not reply an the email of this nature under any circumstances.

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The email below was received as a normal email, March 2024 – I copied it to show here, then trashed (binned) it.

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Dated 01/04/2024

CERT NZ – It is tax time and scammers know it!

CERT NZ and Inland Revenue urge New Zealanders to watch out for tax-related scams.

As the financial year has just ended, Inland Revenue (IRD) will be starting to get in contact with businesses and people about their end of year taxes.

Scammers use this to their advantage and target taxpayers to get their hands on your information, your myIR account, or your money. The most common way in which scammers target people is through phishing. 

Phishing is a form of online attack where scammers send an email or text message pretending to be a trusted institution, asking you to click on a link, open an attachment or call a phone number. READ MORE

Think before you click.

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the Little Black Book of Scams

This page is updated with the Australian version of LBBOS November 2023

Compiled by Bronwyn Groot, Netsafe ‘scambassador’ and NZ Anti-Fraud Award winner, the Little Black Book of Scams tells you almost everything you need to know about the most common scams targeting New Zealanders today. You can download a copy to read on your device or print it out to keep by the computer at home.

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You’ve Been Scammed By Nigel Latta
TVNZ 1 – now available at ‘TV On Demand’. 23/06/2023

Nigel Latta wages war on rip-off merchants

Few days go by without New Zealand media outlets reporting how someone has been scammed out of their life savings. Whether it’s a romantic scam, an investment one or a Nigerian prince looking for help to move his millions, scammers are preying on Kiwis like they never have before.

The country is in the middle of a scandemic and psychologist Nigel Latta wants Kiwis to wise up.

“We don’t really have any idea of the level of money that’s been lost by people because what happens most of the time is that people feel embarrassed and shamed if they get caught up in a scam,” Latta says.

“And because people don’t talk about it, we’re all just way more vulnerable to being scammed.”

The problem is so big, the banking ombudsman approached the film production company Ruckus Media with a proposal to make a documentary highlighting just how vulnerable Kiwis are to being ripped off.

The result is You’ve Been Scammed By Nigel Latta, a four-part series that looks at how criminals prey on human weaknesses – love, greed, fear and trust – to scam us out of our hard-earned cash.

Nigel Latta says he’s changed his own behaviour since making the show.

Scams are nothing new. In 193AD a group of soldiers successfully sold the Roman Empire to the highest bidder. The big difference today is, thanks to the internet, scammers can now reach millions more people.

However, despite the prolific news stories, 90 per cent of Kiwis confidently believe it can’t happen to them. In this series, psychologist Latta, known for series such as Beyond The Darklands, The Politically Incorrect Parenting Show and Nigel Latta Blows Stuff Up, reveals just how wrong they are.

“I’ve learned a lot about scammers, for sure,” he says, adding his new knowledge has led to changes in his own lifestyle.

“In the past, I’ve always had the free virus protection stuff on my laptop because, you know, ‘It’s fine, never had anything go wrong’. Now I’m a paid subscriber to the good stuff. I’ve got it on the phone, got it on my laptop, got it everywhere.

You have to be really, really, really on your guard to not get scammed because there are the obvious ones and then there are the other ones.”

You’ve Been Scammed By Nigel Latta looks at eight types of scams and the human weaknesses exploited by each one. These range from investment rip-offs like the Citibank scam now in the news to phishing, which is used in 92 per cent of all cyber attacks.

Latta says the production team made contact with several scammers while making the programme, including someone behind the Citibank scam in which several Kiwis have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars by investing in what, even after due diligence, seems like a legitimate investment.

“We ended up having some conversations with this man and he sounds very plausible, very believable and very convincing,” Latta says. “We knew he was a scammer but in the middle of that conversation even we were starting to doubt ourselves.”

Latta hopes the series will encourage Kiwis to become more scam savvy and take precautions to protect themselves.

“Some really good virus protection for your devices is part of it but the other part of it is that scammers do ultimately need us to do something,” he says.

“Over and over and over, the thing experts were telling us was that one of the best ways that you can make yourself safe is if something looks kind of interesting or weird, don’t use the numbers or the links provided in the email or whatever.

Nigel Latta says scam artists wouldn’t succeed if people didn’t help them.

“Don’t rely on emails and don’t rely on texts and that kind of stuff – actually find the proper number of the proper place and ring and talk to an actual human.”

Latta says scam artists wouldn’t succeed if their targets didn’t – albeit inadvertently – help them out.

“All these scams require us to do something,” he says. “You’ve got to click on a link to give them some information, you have to send money or engage in a conversation. You actually have to do something.

“The idea that there is some shadowy hacker out there who’s just hacking into your computer (is wrong). They can do that but, first, you have to download and open the file that gives them remote access.”

He hopes the show will make people sit up and think.

“Hopefully, there’ll be people watching the show that go, ‘Well, that’s interesting. So the person I’ve been speaking to who is in the US Army and sends me photographs where I can never see their face isn’t legitimate and maybe I should start thinking and asking some questions about that’.

“It really is a lot about us upping our game and changing the things that we do and the information that we give out.”

You’ve Been Scammed By Nigel Latta, TVNZ 1, Monday July 3.

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ENDS