Common types of scams

Phishing is a type of email scam, where the sender pretends to be a trustworthy organisation — like a bank or government agency — in an attempt to get you to provide them with personal information, like your internet banking login details.

Social media scams are where the scammer pretends to be someone you know and asks you for money. For example, they’ll say that the money is to help them get home as they’re stuck somewhere with no access to funds, or that they need to pay for unexpected medical costs. Social media scams prey on people’s good nature and their desire to help others. Invoice scams affect both businesses and individuals. Scammers send fake invoices requesting payment for goods or services that you didn’t ask for or receive. They often say that the due date for payment has passed, or that your credit rating will be affected if they’re not paid. PC tech support scams are where scammers call people at home pretending to be from a well-known tech company like Microsoft. They often request remote access to your PC or device claiming they need to repair an issue or install a software update. They do this to try and gain access to your private and financial information. Money scams are common online. They include ‘get rich quick’ schemes like the Nigerian prince scam, unexpected prizes, fake auctions and any other number of scams intended to part people with their money — or with personal details that the scammer can use for their own gain. Romance scams are where a scammer takes advantage of someone looking for a relationship online. Scammers will use dating sites and apps or social media to build a relationship with someone. Once they’ve gained the person’s trust, the scammer will start to ask for money, gifts or personal details that can be used to commit fraud. They often use fake profiles to make it harder to track them down.

Watch out for scams

Scammers use social media to try to trick people into giving away their personal details, financial details, or money. When you’re using your social media accounts: • Be on the lookout for social engineering and scams on social media. Social engineering is when an attacker. • Gains a person’s trust and tricks them into giving them access or information they shouldn’t have. • Researches a person and gets enough information to be able to either guess their passwords, or get them reset. • Be wary of opening links and attachments in social media.

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Links asking you to visit another website to claim a free offer or a prize are often scams. These can be used by attackers to get hold of your personal details, or even install malware on your device. Think before you click — if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. • Be cautious if a friend on social media asks you strange questions — if they ask for personal details or ask you for money, for example. It could be a scammer who’s asking, not your friend. The scammer may have created an account to impersonate your friend, or your friend might have lost access to their account.

If this happens, contact your friend through another channel, like over the phone or in person, and ask them about it. If it is a scam, you should be able to report the account.

How to recognise a scam

It’s very likely to be a scam if:

• Somebody contacts you unexpectedly - always question uninvited approaches in case it is a scam.

Instead, contact the company directly using a known email or phone number • You are being pressured to make a quick decision that will cost you – a genuine bank or trusted organisation would never do this bank or government department will never contact you to ask for your PIN, password or to move money to another account.

• You are being asked to click on a link in an unexpected email or text – you could be giving access to your personal and financial details. Listen to your instincts – if something feels wrong then it generally is.

What to do

Never click on the links or attachments in emails and text messages that ask you to login or verify your password. Instead, go to the legitimate website and log in from there.

Always double-check if a person, offer, or company is legitimate before providing any details or payments. Contact the company from their official website address, rather than using the information they provide. Ask somebody for help or even for a second opinion – do they think it’s real?

Netsafe Helps New Zealanders stay safe online, with expertise in online bullying, harassment and abuse under the Harmful Digital Communications Act and all types of scams. netsafe.org.nz Also see Cert.govt.nz for guidance and information on scams and fraud.