Scammers are posing as police officers
Police are warning the public to be aware of phone scam where the scammers are posing as police officers.
Police said they were aware of reports emerging in April 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,” Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Bolton, from Auckland’s financial crime unit said.
But calls like this claiming to help you avoid a scam were in fact a scam, Bolton said.
The 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,” Bolton said.
“Police will make some inquiries 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 contacted 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, Bolton said.
“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 would never contact people seeking their banking details, card numbers, PIN codes or passwords, he said.
“If you are uncertain, ask for the officer’s details. Hang up, contact 105 and request the officer to contact you. If you are in the unfortunate position of being a victim of a scam, please report the matter to police.”
The NZ Banking Association has released a series of tips to spot a scam.
TAKE A SEC TO CHECK BEFORE PARTING WITH YOUR MONEY OR PERSONAL INFORMATION.
■ Trust your instincts – if it feels wrong, it probably is. Urgency is a red flag – scammers try to rush you.
■ Your bank will never ask you for passwords, log-in details, or two factor authentication codes, nor will they send you an email or text message asking you to log in.
■ Be cautious with unsolicited texts, emails, or calls – don’t give out details that could be used to impersonate you.
■ Don’t respond to instructions to download unknown software – it could be malware to access your accounts.
■ Be careful of deals or investments that sound too good to be true – they probably are. Contact investment firms or businesses via their official New Zealand based websites only
■ Use strong, unique passwords and PINs for your banking – don’t write them down or record them.
■ If you think that you might have been scammed report it to your bank immediately.