Romance scam nets over $100k
A BNZ customer who has already sent several payments of $60,000 to an online romance scammer still refuses to believe it is a con and may yet send more, the bank says.
BNZ has released new research that shows 15 per cent of New Zealanders who lose money to scams do not tell anyone what has happened. More than half do not report the crime.
Ashley Kai Fong, head of financial crime at BNZ, said there was a ‘‘tidal wave’’ of scams hitting New Zealanders.
‘‘Scammers are taking advantage of good people and Kiwis are ... not putting their hand up for help,’’ Kai Fong said.
‘‘Scammers are increasingly sophisticated and manipulative.
‘‘They prey on our desire for convenience, the time-poor and those whose attention is pulled in several directions.
‘‘Scammers are selling fake tickets and subscriptions, giving away grants and prizes, mimicking the taxman and invoicing departments of businesses we use for products and services. In some instances they are even imitating colleagues and friends.’’
In the romance scam case, the customer met the con woman online and was asked to lend her some money to help her out of a difficult situation.
She then continually phoned the customer asking for money.
Over six months, several payments of about $60,000 were made to the scammer.
The bank investigated and found the scammer had been convicted of similar behaviour in the past. The customer was told and advised not to get involved.
Despite that, the customer still believed the woman was genuine.
The bank is working to convince the customer not to send more money.
Kai Fong said scammers were skilled at social engineering and pushing the right buttons to keep victims in their thrall.
The research found the 35-44 year age group was specifically at risk of losing money when buying, selling or donating goods or services online, and with inheritance scams.
Kai Fong said that was probably because that age group were usually busy parents who did not have time to check details thoroughly.
They were just as likely to have been scammed as elderly customers.
‘‘If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
‘‘If you are contacted by people you don’t know offering an amazing deal, or an inheritance, it is probably best not to trust it and to do a bit of due diligence.
‘‘If you have won a lottery or a gift card from something you have never entered, it is more than likely it is a scam.’’
The bank is running sessions around the country showing people how to be more scam savvy.
Kai Fong said it seemed progress was being made in educating people on how to protect themselves. But the bank data showed 13 per cent of people were hesitant to go online for fear of being scammed, which he said was concerning.
Most money that was sent to scammers went overseas, he said.
That could indicate that was where the scammers were based but could also be because it was harder to trace and retrieve money from foreign accounts.