Types of scams

“Hi Mum” or “family impersonation” scams

Victims are contacted - most often through WhatsApp by a scammer posing as a close family member or friend. The scammer will claim they have lost or damaged their phone and, as consequence, is making contact from a new number. Once trust is established, the scammer might ask for money to help urgently to replace the phone or pay a bill. They will instruct for the money to be sent to a ‘friend’s account’ who has agreed to help out by providing quick access to money.

Scams of this type prey on an emotional response as a worried parent using a sense of urgency to get you to act before you have the time to think.

If you have been affected:

• stop all contact with the scammer
• call or contact your relative on the number already stored in your phone to check if it's real
• never send money without being sure who you are sending it to.

Affinity scams or romance scams rely on your good nature to build a relationship before asking for money or involving you in crime without your knowledge. This scam usually arrives by email, in social media or through online dating. Scammers may use fake photos and claim to be from New Zealand or working overseas. Successful scammers are good at convincing you. They ask questions about what you want in your life. They will be thoughtful, caring and looking for a soul mate. Once the relationship is established, they ask for money or ask you to handle accounts for them.

Non-complicit mule scams ask you to receive and move money or contraband, eg stolen goods. If you’re asked to set up a bank account for someone you met online, there’s a high chance they plan to use you as a money mule. In this scam, you’re asked to receive money from someone who says the funds are coming from a business venture. This is not true. Money mule scams use trusting people to receive the proceeds of other scams, then transfer the money on to the scammer.

If you have given or received money in this kind of scam:

• contact your bank or the institution you sent or received money through
• contact the police
• report the scam to Cert(external link) — CERT NZ

To avoid affinity scams:

• confirm the identity of the person building a relationship with you — asking for a photo is not enough because these can be fake. 

Our reducing risk page has tips on checking an online contact’s identity.

Reduce your risk

See our case studies page to learn more about affinity scams.

Case studies

Phishing scams, attempts at identity theft, and fake websites are all scams that could ask for credit card or banking details. There is potential risk whenever you enter your credit card number online. Scammers have been known to create online shopping websites that look legitimate. After you pay by credit card, your order is never delivered and you can’t get your money back.

Fake website scams can take time to reveal themselves because an agreed delivery time passes before you get suspicious. Scammers also imitate charities that carry out donation campaigns on the streets to trick people into giving money or credit card details.

If you have given financial details in a scam:

• cancel your credit card
• change your online banking password.

To avoid giving financial details to a scam:

• only enter your credit card details on a website if you are certain it’s legitimate. 

See our advice on reducing your scam risk for more tips.

Reduce your risk

Money mule scams ask you to receive and move money or contraband, eg stolen goods. Money in these scams is often the proceeds of crime. One common scam is to list job vacancies where potential employees are promised they can work from home and make easy money.

If you have accepted a job like this:

• stop all contact with the scammer
• contact the police.

To avoid unknowingly becoming involved in crime as a money mule:

• don’t accept work that involves receiving and transferring money 
• carefully research any employers offering this kind of work.

See examples of money mule scams on our case studies page.

Case studies

Finance and investment frauds come in many forms. These scams can be hard to spot. A scammer will approach you unexpectedly with an investment product or opportunity that promises great returns. Often their website, references and materials look like the real thing. Investment scammers produce fake financial reports, forged share certificates and glossy initial public offerings to convince people to give significant amounts of money.

Because many scams are operated by criminals overseas, once you’ve given them any money it is very hard and very rare to get it back – even from countries with tough anti-fraud laws.

Warnings that it could be a scam:

• They give you little or no information in writing.
• They ask for unusual payments.
• They claim you’ve already made a profit despite not yet paying them any money.
• They keep wanting more money.
• They can’t or won’t pay you back.
• They’re on the FMA’s Warning List of known scams. BUT beware scammers regularly change their names, so just because they’re not on our list doesn’t mean they’re not a scam.

It’s illegal to sell financial products through a cold call in New Zealand. If you’re contacted in this way, it’s likely to be a scam.

If you have given money to an investment or finance scam:

• Stop all contact with the scammer.
• Do not make any more payments.
• Contact the FMA(external link) if the scam relates to an illegal investment offer or scheme. Include your contact details so that we can be in touch.
• Otherwise report the scam to Cert(external link) — CERT NZ

To avoid finance and investment scams:

• invest in businesses regulated in New Zealand
• get financial advice before making any investments, and don’t be pressured into a quick decision
• follow advice from the Financial Markets Authority on ways to protect yourself.

Safe investment tips(external link) - Financial Markets Authority

See an example of an investment scam on our case studies page.

Case studies

Extortion/blackmail text or email scams claims a victim’s computer has been hacked obtaining intimate images or video recordings and threatened to share with contacts unless they comply with certain demands. These demands typically involve payment of money, often in the form of cryptocurrencies, or providing more explicit content. 

Threats of this sort are often empty but can be scary.

If you have been affected: 

• stop all contact with the scammer
• don’t send any payments to the scammer
• immediately change your passwords
• if you are worried that your password might be compromised check Have I Been Pwned: Check if your email has been compromised in a data breach to see if email address has been a target of data breach(external link) . If your email address is listed, make sure you update your password on any of the affected sites
• delete the scam email and mark it as spam so that your email filter removes it
• block phone numbers you may have been contacted through
• report the scam.

A remote access or technical support scam is when someone offers to fix a problem with your computer by connecting to it. This might be via an unexpected phone call or fake online advertisement. They will often claim your computer has a virus or internet issue, and ask you to provide login details or direct you to a website. Then they search your computer for personal information, which could be used to steal money or commit identity fraud. A scammer with access to your computer can also monitor your online activity to discover internet banking passwords or government service logins.

If you have given remote access to your computer:

• shut down your computer
• phone your bank
• do not use your computer until it has been cleaned by a technician

Report the scam to Cert(external link) — CERT NZ

To avoid remote access scams:

• do not engage with anyone who offers to fix your computer or install software
• contact a reputable listed technician if you need help with your computer
• use different passwords for different online accounts and consider two factor authentication.

See CERT NZ’s website for more on two factor authentication.

Simple steps to cyber security(external link) – CERT NZ

See an example of a technical support scam on our case studies page.

Case studies

Some scams are good at imitating the communication style of reputable companies, but many scam emails will include obvious mistakes.

Scams are often connected. If someone asks you to participate in an unexpected survey, they could be trying to gather information they can use to build your trust during a future scam.

See an example of survey information being used in a scam on our case studies page.

Case studies

Pyramid schemes rely on people paying money into the scheme and getting other people to join and give money too.

They can take many forms and be difficult to spot. But a common factor is that the only way to earn money is to recruit more people to pay into the scheme, not through sales of products or services. The payment might be described as an "investment", "gift" or "koha", and it may be in cash, a bank transfer or crypto currency. Some schemes offer certificates or "personal growth opportunities" in return for making a payment.

Social media can be used as a platform to promote pyramid schemes to prospective recruits. Promotional material may claim "instant commissions", "passive income" and "you get paid while you are sleeping".

Getting more people to join – often friends and family – is the main way people make any money from a pyramid scheme. But most people end up worse off because not enough other people are willing to join.

Pyramid schemes ultimately fail because eventually people are unable to get enough new people to join. Usually only a few people at the top of the pyramid make significant amounts of money. Those who aren't near the top can lose money and damage relationships.

Pyramid schemes are illegal under the Fair Trading Act, which is enforced by the Commerce Commission. 

What you can do

If you, or someone you know is involved in a pyramid scheme:

• don't ask anyone else to join
• talk to the person who asked you to join and ask for your money back
• report the scheme to the Commerce Commission.

Pyramid Schemes(external link)  — Commerce Commission

Gift cards or iTunes vouchers are a common currency for scammers. Scammers can contact you pretending to be from a government department, law firm, telco or other trusted business, suggesting an urgent payment needs to be made using iTunes or other vouchers in exchange for solving an issue. It can be to cover a tax, fine, legal fees, bills or any other costs. Scammers usually put some pressure on you, saying that you or somebody from your family might face criminal charges, lose immigration visa, or employment status. After the vouchers or cards have been purchased they will ask you for the voucher codes that they later on sell online at discount prices.

To avoid gift card or voucher scams, remember:

• Government departments or private business never demand payment in iTunes vouchers, supermarket vouchers, or other kinds of gift cards.
• If you receive a call from a business or government department or business informing you that something will happen unless you make an immediate payment you can hang up and search their Customer Service number on Google or in the phone book – they will have a record of what you may or may not owe them.

Advance fee fraud is when someone asks you to pay a fee in order to get something valuable. Promises made in this kind of scam can include inheritance payments, overseas trips, job offers or cars. But any kind of offer that seems enticing and is made by someone you don’t know, could be the beginning of advance fee fraud. The scammer will take your payment and never deliver what was promised. Sometimes advance fee fraudsters will say a number of payments are needed to release your prize, but the promised prize does not exist.

If you have given money to an advance fee scam:

• stop all contact with the scammer
• contact your bank or the institution you sent money through
• report the scam to Netsafe, who can advise you on what to do next.

To avoid advance fee fraud:

• do not pay money to someone you don’t know well — or haven’t met in person.
• See an example of advance fee fraud on our case studies page.

Case studies

Phishing is when you are sent an email or text by someone claiming to be from a bank, other financial institution or government agency. They urge you to click on links and enter personal and financial details into fake websites that look like the real thing. Your details can be used by scammers to spend or steal your money.

Banks will never contact you by email to confirm personal or financial information.

If you have given information in a phishing scam:

• alert your bank
• use the bank or agency’s official website to change any passwords entered on the fake site — find the official site using a Google search or by checking your bank card or statement
• report the scam to Netsafe, who can advise you on what to do next.

To avoid phishing scams:

• don’t click on links in emails claiming to be from a bank, other financial institution or government agency
• if you need to contact your bank or a government agency, use the official phone number or website.

See a phishing scam example on our case studies page.

Case studies

An upfront payment scam is similar to advance fee fraud, where you are asked to pay for something in advance. This can include goods or services at bargain prices. Sometimes a scammer will say this deal is available for a very limited time to make you act fast.

If you have given money to an upfront payment scam:

• stop all contact with the scammer
• report the scam to Cert(external link) — CERT NZ

To avoid upfront payment scams:

• be cautious whenever goods, services or experiences are advertised at a price that seems much less than their value
• check for seller feedback if shopping online.

See an example of an upfront payment scam on our case studies page.

Case studies

Buying cryptocurrencies or using crypto-exchanges can put you at higher risk of being the target of a scam or fraud.

Scammers promote cryptocurrency sale and exchange as a way to catch you in phishing scams, upfront payment scams, and various forms of finance and investment fraud.

Cryptocurrency is also used in a new wave of Ponzi and pyramid schemes. In these scams, it can seem like the value of your currency is growing when it’s not. What looks like a return on investment is actually money from joining fees charged to other people who think they are buying cryptocurrency. Beware of false reassurance from people you know — your friend, family member, neighbour or co-worker may be caught in a scam without realising it.

If you have given money to a cryptocurrency scam:

• stop all contact with the scammer
• do not make any more payments
• report the scam to Cert(external link) — CERT NZ

To avoid scams related to cryptocurrency:

• take time to research any investment opportunities you’re considering
• be sceptical if someone offers — or says they get — high returns for little risk
• follow advice from the Financial Markets Authority.

Ways to invest – Financial Markets Authority(external link)

See CERT NZ’s(external link) website to learn about keeping your cryptocurrency safe.

An invoice scam asks you to pay an invoice, which a scammer might claim is overdue. This can be easy to spot if the invoice is unrelated to your life, but scammers can go to great lengths to find out which services you use. Then they create an imitation invoice that looks like a real one, but with different payment details.

If you have paid a fraudulent invoice:

• contact the police
• report the scam to Cert(external link) — CERT NZ

To avoid invoice scams:

• communicate with service providers and tradespeople in person where possible
• be wary of any changes to agreed payment processes
• phone the service provider on a number you have used before the invoice arrived to check any changes to their bank account or preferred payment method.

See an invoice scam example on our case studies page.

Case studies

A recovery scam is when a victim of a scam is targeted again — this time by someone claiming they can recover lost funds for a fee. If you have sent money overseas, it’s not uncommon for a fake enforcement agency to offer to get it back if you pay them a percentage. These offers are not genuine.

If you have given money to a recovery scam:

• stop all contact with the scammer
• contact the police.

To avoid recovery scams:

• ignore anyone who claims they have special knowledge of how to recover funds lost in a scam.

See a recovery fee scam example on our case studies page.

Case studies

There are many different types of advance payment and advance fee scams. Sometimes a scammer will take an interest in an advert to trick money out of the person who listed it. Common targets for this scam are people who advertise for flatmates or sell something online. The scammer will give a reason why they can’t meet the ad’s exact terms and will promise to pay more if you can cover a cost for them in the short term. After you pay, the scammer either asks for more or won’t respond to contact.

Buying from social media also poses a potential risk to your physical security, e.g., your personal information. There is also a risk to your physical security when you invite people to your home.

Another scam common in this space is online shopping scams where scammers target through fake social media ads.

Scammers responding to advertisements can also attempt to use you as a money mule. They deliberately overpay you for something, then ask you to refund them the overpaid amount. The initial payment was made by the victim of another scam, and the money you send back to the scammer are proceeds of this crime.

If you have given money to this kind of scam:

• stop all contact with the scammer
• contact your bank or the institution you sent money through
• report the scam to Cert(external link) — CERT NZ

To avoid advance payment scams:

• always get references or check buyer feedback when you consider people who reply to ad listings.

See our case studies page for an example of an advance payment scam.

Case studies