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Protect yourself from Scam and Fraud

Some signs that an email or phone call might be a scam:

• Badly worded or formatted
• Spelling mistakes and spaces or strange characters used
• Fake ‘from’ email address. Inspire Net always uses .net.nz
• Fake website address it references

Confirming and reporting a scam:

If you believe you have received a suspicious email, make sure you have contacted the Police first and foremost. You should probably use their new 105 number.
Police website - https://www.police.govt.nz/advice/cybercrime-and-internet

Do not reply to the email or click on any links in the email as they may take you to a fake website. If you believe you have submitted any personal or credit card data, please contact your bank immediately. If there is any reference to your password, change immediately.

 

Latest scams

There are always new scams, so it’s very difficult to have them all listed and up-to-date, however you can visit the https://www.cert.govt.nz website to view the latest alerts they’re aware of. They highlight current cyber security threats in New Zealand and you can report any issues online too.

Phishing is a type of email scam, which seems to be happening more and more. It’s where the sender pretends to be a trustworthy organisation — like a bank, government agency or your local internet provider! — in an attempt to get you to provide them with personal information, like your internet banking login details.

While some scammers will simply ask their target directly for money, others will be more subtle about what they want. They can trick you into parting with personal or business details that they can use to get access to your finances, buy goods or services, or access your network systems.

There’s a number of ways you can protect yourself against scams and fraud:

• Don’t give out too much personal information online, whether on social media or by email.
   
• Put privacy settings on your social media accounts and don’t add too many personal details to your profile.
   
• If a friend asks you for money on social media, call or email them to confirm their request is legitimate — don’t pay without checking first.
   
• Turn on multifactor authentication for your online accounts.
   
• Choose unique passwords for your online accounts — don’t use the same password for every account you have. Consider using a password manager like KeePass to manage them.
   
• Don’t click on web links sent by someone you don’t know, or that seem out of character for someone you do know. If you’re not sure about something, contact the person you think might have sent it to check first.
   
• Don’t pay invoices for any goods or services that you didn’t ask for or receive. Be wary if a company you often deal with changes their account payment details unexpectedly. If you’re unsure about an invoice, call the business directly to check the details before you pay.
   
• Always check your bank statements.
   
• Get a regular credit report to check that no accounts have been opened in your name without your knowledge.
   
• Try to remember that if something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is.

 

If you’re affected by a scam or fraud:

Here’s what to do if you’ve been targeted by a scam or fraud online.

If you gave out some personal or financial details:

• Contact the service provider for your online accounts — like your bank or Inspire if we’re your email provider. Let them know what’s happened and ask what they can do to help.
   
• Change the passwords for any online accounts you think might be at risk