WAIRARAPA  CITIZEN’S  ADVICE  BUREAU

CURRENT  SCAMS  –  ASK  YOURSELF  “IS IT A SCAM?”

I think most people have received a phone call or email at some time or other offering them great riches, which can only be recovered by you sending a payment of a nominal sum (often in the thousands). These are the more obvious scams. However, the scammers are constantly coming up with new ideas.

There are some simple, and seemingly obvious rules to avoid a scam. Unfortunately the scammers will seek to gain your trust, and New Zealanders lose thousands of dollars each year to scammers. If you have met someone online, never send money to them, especially if they are overseas. Do not invest funds, sell shares or seek a tax refund from someone who has telephoned you uninvited.

If you have been told of an inheritance coming your way, do not send money to enable the funds to be released. Avoid clicking on a link in an uninvited email, or download software, or purchase goods from an unknown site, or conduct a transaction for someone you do not know.

There is the obvious one where you receive a call from “Windows” telling you there is a fault in your computer and you need to download software or pay a fee to get your computer unblocked. This one still traps the unwary.

So what are some of the latest scams being perpetrated? If you receive a “missed call” message on your phone that appears to be from overseas, do not ring back, particularly if the caller ID starts with 0088 or 002 (Chad in Africa). These scammers have set up a system, so that if you ring back, they can collect the cost of the call to their bank account.

Some other scam calls can be received from “The Auckland Anti-Fraud Department”- we need to check your account), the “IRD” – (You owe us $), “SPARK” (you must download anti–virus software), or the “NZ Police” – (Your device has been blocked).They often want you to  pay in itunes vouchers. Never do this. They may also display a false number on your caller ID screen as well.

Fake invoices are another scam that often catch out businesses. For example a site called “NZlook” purporting to be an internet based directory, will send you an invoice once they have your address.

What can you do once you detect a scam? There are sites where you can report a scam. These are www.scamwatch.govt.nz or www.dia.govt.nz, or forward spam text messages to the free shortcode 7726 (SPAM). You can also get help from www.netsafe.org.nz or call 0508 NETSAFE. The Police are your other option if significant amounts of money are involved, or the scam appears to be based in New Zealand.

Wairarapa  Citizen’s  Advice  Bureau for Free Confidential  Information. Phones 06 377 0078  or  0800 367 222 at 43 Perry Street , Masterton. Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm  email: wairarapa@cab.org.nz  Website:  www.cab.org.nz