Computer Scams

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Some of our members have recently been contacted by on-line scammers. Please be very wary of any phone calls or emails asking you for your personal details. Here are some of the ways in which scammers work. 

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Your Bank Card has Been Stolen Scam

​A man with a cultured English voice will phone you, saying he is a Detective Constable, and 

​they have arrested a young man carrying several stolen bank cards, and one of them may be yours. He asks you to check your cards. If you still have them he asks for the details anyway, 'to just make sure.'  Hang up, or if you are worried that it could be the actual NZ Police, ask what station they are with, and say you will phone them back, by looking up the number - not a number they give you. (This is a good tactic, whenever you are talking to anyone suspicious on the phone, as they usually hang up). 

This happened to me recently - it was on my landline, which could have easily been obtained somewhere. -  Heather Nelson - Website Admin. 

 

Advice from a bank: 

​"We've recently seen an increase in scammers impersonating bank staff including our fraud team. Please be vigilant if you receive an unexpected phone call where the caller asks you to take immediate action due to fraudulent transactions. The scammers appear to have personal information already which may have been previously obtained from you through a phishing email, text or website. The fraud team may call customers from time to time to verify unusual transactions on their accounts. However, we will never ask you to provide your banking passwords, PINs, customers number, two-factor authentication codes or your card details. We'll also never ask you to download software, remote access your device or tell you we need to transfer money to a 'safe' account, set up crypto currency accounts, or purchase gift cards of any sort."

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NZTA Car Registration Scam

A new email scam impersonating the NZTA is being sent around telling vehicle owners their licenses are due. The email directs the recipient to renew the funds through clicking a 'Renew Now' button at the bottom corner of the email. It then takes the individual to fake website that gets them to fill in personal details.
- NZTA will only send an email through if an individual has contacted them first.
- Email addresses will always end in @nzta.govt.nz, @enews.nzta.govt.nz or @reply.nzta.govt.nz.
- The email may be missing specific details that the NZTA will have on file: such as your plate number, the date your vehicle license is due and vehicle make and model.
- Hover over buttons and links to see if the pop-up will take you to a genuine government (.govt.nz) website.    

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False Purchases Scam

You will receive a phone call, supposedly from your bank, saying that there is a payment on your Visa or Mastercard from overseas that you may not have made. They will tell you the amount and the payee - eg. “Did you recently purchase something on E-bay for $1,210?” You are then asked to press ''Hash 1'' on your phone if you have not authorised the payment.  Victims who follow the instruction will then be connected to a human operator who will try to elicit information that could be used to defraud.  So beware.  ​If you think you may have unwittingly compromised your bank account, contact your bank immediately.

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Parcel Delivery Scam: In the email or text message, you are told that they have tried to deliver a parcel to your address and gives a fake track and trace number. The scammers direct you to a website which asks for a tracking number. This then directs you to another page that claims that the status for the package is pending in Auckland and that a delivery fee of $3.25 has not been paid.  Those who click on ''pay shipping'' are then re-directed to another website which asks for the user's details and payment method.  (Either direct debit, or Visa). $3.25 may not seem like a lot, but when scammers target enough people it adds up quickly. And more importantly, you're handing over your credit card and personal details." 

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​Illegal Material on your Computer Scam: 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.

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False Website Scam:  The website that you wish to buy a service or product from may not be the authentic website.  Don't use the website sent to you.  Check that website address is the genuine one.

eg. There is a false website for Norton Antivirus software.  Not only will you lose your money, but your computer could be compromised.

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Microsoft Scam:

Some scammers say they are from Microsoft and that your computer is infected with a virus, and they will help you get rid of it if you give them your computer IP address or your password. They can gain access to your computer from another location and send emails to your friends.

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You are Due for a Refund Scam:

Some will say they are from a Government Department (IRD) and you are due a refund. They ask that you give them your Bank Account number and pin number and they will deposit the payment into your account. Say you will phone the IRD direct. Scammers are trying to get payment or personal details from you.

 

Your Account is Overdue Scam: 

Or they may say that your telephone or electricity account is overdue and your phone or electricity will be cut off the next day if you don’t pay immediately. This puts pressure on, and some people panic and give the information the scammer wants. Say you will phone the company and check it out for yourself.

 

Your Friend is in Trouble Scam: 

One scam is that they tell you that your friend is on holiday, and they have lost their credit card and need some money.  If you receive an email like that, supposedly from a friend, they will tell you where to send the money to help your friend or ask you to purchase i-tune gift cards and send them to an address. Sometimes they are sending the email from an address very similar to your friends.  Sometimes it may actually be from your friend's address, which has been hacked. Get in touch with your friend some other way.

 

Investment Scam:

Be wary if an investment scheme is recommended  publicly by a radio/tv personality, or public figure.  Especially if it is too good to be true.  Before you invest any money thoroughly investigate the company offering the investment. Never rush into an investment, even if you are told that this special deal is ending today. 

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You Have Won a Lottery or a Voucher Scam: 

A scammer may send out an email saying you have won a lottery, or that a store is sending you a voucher as you have been a good customer. You just have to provide certain details to claim your winnings!  Or they may say that if you pay them a certain amount you will receive amazing discounts from certain hotels.  These discounts could be non-existent. Do not reply. 

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Click on the link for further information about Scams : https://netsafe.org.nz/

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Be wary if you are buying tickets for events and make sure you choose legitimate websites to buy them from. Otherwise you may not receive the tickets, or the tickets aren’t legitimate.

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If you have doubts about something, Google your query:  eg:  "New World Voucher Scam."

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Remember, these people are thieves. Do not hesitate to hang up on them, or if you have an email or text that does not make sense, and rings warning bells, delete it. Do not open any attachments.