Security tips
Identifying a scam
Scams can come in many forms and use a range of ways to trick people into handing over personal information. The tactics used by scammers and fraudsters can vary from someone coming to your front door to an unexpected email but all are designed to get hold of your money. Fraudsters may pretend to be your bank, a government agency, a retailer or someone you trust. The key is knowing how to tell friend from foe and what to do if you think you’ve been targeted.
What to look out for
What to do if you think you've been scammed
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Stop contact
If the sign-up process to get the free trial involves entering a credit card number, you’re likely to be signed up to an ongoing subscription without realising it.
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Contact your bank
Some businesses make it tough to cancel a subscription by hiding the terms and conditions of their offers, using pre-checked sign-up boxes as the default setting online, and putting in strict terms and conditions which makes it hard to get out of.
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Don't pay more money
Scammers will take advantage of people caught in recent scams by pretending to be a government agency who can return all your money for a fee. Don’t give any more money to the fraudster, or anyone who is claiming to help you for a fee.
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Protect yourself
If you’ve given out personal information or if your computer or phone has been hacked, take action to protect yourself. Change passwords, making sure you have different passwords for each account. If your computer or phone has been hacked, take this to a professional to have it cleaned.
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Report it
Reporting the scam is an important step in the process. Remember to also tell friends and family. It can be hard, but fraudsters rely on people keeping the scam a secret out of shame or embarrassment.
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Where to find help?
- Netsafe: netsafe.org.nz 0508 638 723
- CERT NZ: cert.govt.nz 0800 237 869
- Victim support: victimsupport.org.nz 0800 842 846
- Age Concern NZ: ageconcern.org.nz 04 801 9338