Netsafe receives a lot of reports from people about cold call scams – these are run by scammers who contact you on your phone. These scammers often try to sell you a fake product or service, or pretend to be from a legitimate organisation (like a telco) or a government agency. These scammers are trying…
Phishing is when someone tries to get personal information (like bank account numbers and passwords), from a large audience, so they can use it to impersonate or defraud people. These emails can look very real, and some will even use the branding and logos of a legitimate organisation to make the email seem genuine. Phishing…
Scammers often use different tactics to try to win your trust such as impersonating someone or an organisation you might know to try and convince you of their story. Find out more about how an impersonation scam works and how to stay safe now. HOW DOES AN IMPERSONATION SCAM WORK Online scams are sophisticated messages…
It is now so easy to compare prices and book your travel online. From time to time we do come across instances of people taking advantage of others with travel accommodation/holiday booking scams. And it’s not just those who aren’t very tech-savvy getting caught out – it’s people of all ages and backgrounds. Fortunately, there…
Ransomware is a malicious software that denies a user access to their files or system unless they pay a ransom.
Cold calling computer technicians have plagued Kiwis with their efforts to gain remote access to computers and steal online banking logins, personal data and more
In 2017, Kiwis reported losing $10.1 million dollars to online scams and fraud to Netsafe. The largest single loss reported was $480,000 to an investment scam. Auckland residents reported the highest loss by region at $2.7 million, ahead of losses in Wellington of $1.14 million and losses in Canterbury of $969,000. Over the last 5…
Online Scams That You Should Be Aware Of: 1. Cold calling scams While not technically an online scam, cold-calling scams are still one of the most reported scams we receive. Cold calling scams are run by scammers who contact you on your home phone. They may be trying to sell you a fake product or…
We often receive reports of people receiving unsolicited goods. These are goods they haven’t ordered, and the company that sent them is demanding payment for the product. How does it work? The company has acquired personal details about a person (e.g. name, email and mailing address) and has sent a product to them they haven’t…
One of the scams reported often to us is government grant scams. These scammers are pretending to be from a trusted and legitimate organisation to make their scam seem more genuine. If you have been targeted by a grant scam, you can report it by completing an online report form or by emailing [email protected] How…
