Top tricks The 2016 security scam story
Vulnerable Kiwis are losing millions of dollars every year to cruel scammers. Chloe Winter reports on some of the worst.
One man’s attempt to find his ‘happily, ever after’ ended before it even began. The man, who only wanted to be referred to as Wallace, paid $35,000 for a Singaporean bride, only to learn ‘‘Jessica’’ was Malaysian and already married to someone else.
In another case, a Wellington woman was conned out of about $100,000 after falling victim to an online romance scam.
Sally Kabak, a 67-year-old teacher’s aide, spoke of how
the scammer - called ‘‘Michael’’ - was utterly convincing, and she was willing to send him money in a desperate attempt to help him get back to New Zealand.
Stealing from those who give:
In March, kidscan - a charity focused on supporting disadvantaged children in low-decile schools - was alerted to a woman trying to solicit advertising, claiming her magazine sponsored kidscan.
Charity chief executive Julie Chapman, said it was frustrating a company would masquerade as one of its supporters, which she feared could affect kidscan’s credibility with its sponsors.
Meanwhile, scammers were also targeting Cancer Society donors, calling and asking for credit card details to ‘‘donate’’ to the Daffodil Day campaign.
Society president Claire Austen, described the act as a ‘‘pretty low blow’’.
‘‘They’re either incredibly dishonest or incredibly desperate to do something like that.
‘‘Obtaining money through fraud from the Cancer Society is actually taking from people with cancer.’’ That time IRD kept calling... It’s a scam that keeps on giving well actually, taking.
Scammers pretending to be from government departments, predominantly the Inland Revenue Department (IRD), were calling people demanding money in the form of vouchers.
The caller often made threats to victims should they not transfer funds.
One South Canterbury woman Yvette Munro - was so fed up with them, she gave the scammers a piece of her mind. She was told she owed $4356. ‘‘I told him he was a scam artist and to f... off but he carried on talking as if nothing had happened.’’
It’s free! Go on:
Earlier this year, people were falling for a scam offering them a free pass to Rainbow’s End - or a supermarket voucher.
Auckland theme park Rainbow’s End, has issued a warning about a scam going around Facebook, offering tickets in return for filling out a survey.
Another link being distributed via Facebook asks people to fill out a survey in return for an $80 New World coupon.
Yet another was offering a voucher from Countdown ‘‘to mark its 25th anniversary’’.
On top of that, Air New Zealand warned its customers that a scam was doing the rounds on social media, promising two free airline tickets to anywhere in the world, as an inducement to provide personal details.
Targeting shaken residents:
Obtaining money through fraud from the Cancer Society is actually taking from people with cancer. Cancer Society president Claire Austen
After the deadly 7.8 earthquake last month, police received reports of people claiming to be from the Earthquake Commission (EQC), asking for access to properties in the city and surrounding areas.
EQC customer and claims general manager Trish Keith, said EQC did not yet have assessors on the ground, and advised caution.