Impersonation scams

What is an impersonation scam?

Impersonation scams typically involve someone taking over or creating an account to pose as someone else. These scams are often aimed at tricking the contacts of the person being impersonated, usually their friends or family.

Often scammers will set up a link on the impersonation account for people to click on, that goes to a fake website requesting login and credit card details. Scammers use these details to try and get access to accounts like bank accounts.

If you think you’ve been the target of an impersonation scam you can contact Netsafe for advice and guidance. Our helpline is free, confidential and available 7 days a week.

Report online (https://report.netsafe.org.nz/hc/en-au/requests/new)Email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])Text 'Netsafe' to 4282 (sms:4282?body=Netsafe)Live chat support Call 0508 638 723 8am-8pm weekdays, 9am-5pm weekends (tel:0508638723)New Zealanders overseas can call +64 9 666 0840 (tel:+6496660840)

Types of impersonation scam

There are three types of impersonation scams:

1. Individual impersonation scams

Where a person either takes over someone’s existing account or creates a new one using their identity to deceive others.

• Impostor scams: Someone takes over an online account (e.g., social media or email) and uses it to scam the real person’s contacts.
• Cloned account scams: A new account is created using the name and photos of another person to deceive others, often targeting friends and family.

2. Branding impersonation scams

Scammers misuse the branding of a legitimate business, creating convincing fake websites or emails to scam people.

3. Spoofing

Imitating the domain, email, or phone number of a legitimate entity to make fraudulent requests seem genuine.

Impacts of impersonation scams

The impacts of impersonation scams include reputational damage and financial loss. The targeted person or business may suffer reputationally if a scammer steals their identity and other people believe they’ve been contacted by the authentic individual or entity. Scammers might also trick victims into transferring money for fraudulent activities.

Recognising an impersonation scam

Scammers exploit trust, posing as friends or family members to obtain personal or financial information.

A common tactic when impersonating a friend or family member is to claim they are in an emergency situation and need your assistance. They may take over or create accounts to impersonate people or businesses you know, convincing you to disclose sensitive information or buy fake products/services. Social engineering at its best requires believability, confidence and a little luck to make it all plausible and make sense.

Red flags of an impersonation scam

• Be wary of messages from a contact claiming to have new contact details. If you’re unsure contact your friend or family member via another platform to check if they sent the message.
• If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t trust unfamiliar products or links just because they’re recommended by someone you know online.
• Be cautious of urgent requests for personal details or money.
• Beware of requests for help with account access or verification codes.

Protecting yourself against impersonation scams

Scammers target public social media accounts like Instagram as they can then take multiple photos to make the impersonation account more realistic. It’s a good idea to review your privacy settings (you can find more information from Instagram here(https://www.facebook.com/help/instagram/196883487377501)) so that only approved followers can see your photos.

Protect your personal information:

• Login details and passwords for all online accounts
• Bank account and credit/debit card details
• Address
• Phone number
• Passport, driver’s licence, other ID
• Birthdate
• Answers to security questions (e.g. mother’s maiden name)

If you receive a message from an unknown sender:

• Ignore and don’t respond to unfamiliar requests.
• Block and report the sender on all contacted platforms.

If someone pretends to be someone you know:

• Don’t engage; contact the real person through another platform.
• Inform them about the impersonation and suggest they secure their accounts.
• Advise them to post a warning to others on their account once re-secured.

What to do if you are being impersonated

If you are being impersonated, there are steps you can take:

• Post an announcement on social media to warn your contacts.
• Report the fake account as both ‘abuse’ and an 'impersonation account' to the platform. If you have been blocked by the scammer, the platform may have an online form you can use instead of reporting in-app.
• Report the linked website to the site host. They may have terms and conditions against this type of impersonation. For example, report abusive content to Wix(https://support.wix.com/en/article/reporting-abusive-content-9640277).
• Follow steps to re-secure your account(/online-safety-at-home/keeping-accounts-safe-with-online-security): reset passwords, review login activity, enable two-factor authentication (2FA).
• Report any new impersonation accounts to the platform.

Recovering lost money or personal information

If your personal information has been compromised:

• Use the Identity Theft Checklist(https://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/Files/EOI/$file/identity_theft_checklist_pdf-a.pdf) to understand potential misuse.
• Contact IDCare(https://www.idcare.org/) for support and advice on identity theft.

If money is lost:

• Dispute the payment: Contact your bank and apply for a chargeback if you used a credit card.
• Report to your bank immediately: Inform them of the situation. They will guide you on the security steps to take.
• Follow the money: Report gift card payments to the retailer. For money transfers (e.g., Bitcoin), recovery is unlikely, as the payment is most likely untraceable.
• Contact Cybera(https://cybera.io/report/): For unresolved cases where recovering the money through your bank has been unsuccessful, contact Cybera for further advice and assistance. Cybera is a free service for most and specialises in fraudulent transactions.

Report impersonation scams

If you think you’ve been targeted by an impersonation scam, inform your friends and family to help them avoid falling victim.

You can contact Netsafe seven days a week for free, confidential and non-judgmental advice about an online issue impacting you or someone you know.

Whilst we cannot investigate or track scammers, we can provide advice on steps you can take to stay safe and what to do if you think you’ve been scammed.

Report online (https://report.netsafe.org.nz/hc/en-au/requests/new)Email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])Text 'Netsafe' to 4282 (sms:4282?body=Netsafe)Live chat support Call 0508 638 723 8am-8pm weekdays, 9am-5pm weekends (tel:0508638723)New Zealanders overseas can call +64 9 666 0840 (tel:+6496660840)