Phishing and Scamming Nicky McCleland & Kathy Olsen .Nicky and Kathy were introduced by Ross Edwards as senior banking representatives with the BNZ responsible for the security of their customers and the prevention of financial abuse.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has found that 15% of NZ adults have been scammed or tricked out of money.
Phishing scams can be very sophisticated, and criminals go to great lengths to make their emails and fake login pages look genuine. There are no hard and fast rules to identify a phish but you should be wary, and keep these indicators in mind when reading emails:
• Emails that do not address you by name, or do not include information within the email to prove that the sender knows you.
• Urgency or appeals for emergency help, which are designed to make you act quickly.
• Requests that ask you to make a financial transaction.
• Emails that ask you to update personal and financial information.
• Links or attachments from senders you don’t know or aren’t expecting.
• Even if you know the sender, if the email is asking you to make a financial transaction that isn’t normal, you should always check with them by phone, even if the email states they cannot be reached by phone.
• Online fraud is also very prevalent and the following signs are what to watch out for:
• You receive an email from a bank you don’t bank with.
• You are asked to provide your personal information via an email or on a website.
• You are asked to provide your confidential bank information, such as your credit card number, PIN, and expiry date.
• The text of the email or message is full of grammar and spelling mistakes.
• You receive an unexpected email from someone you don’t know, or from a reputable company using a public service domain, such as Hotmail or Gmail.
• You are asked to send money through untraceable agencies.
• The deal(s) are too good to be true and/or the sender gives promise of money for little or no effort.
• The story and/or deal(s) don’t ‘add’ up or make sense.
• You are told you have won a competition that you never entered.
• You get a quick response to your reply, and they answer questions you never asked.
Credit Card skimming at eftpos terminals can happen when fraudsters fit a scanning device which enables them to read information from the metallic strip of your card. To protect yourself:• sign your new card as soon as you get it
• protect your PIN
• never give your credit card details to anyone (unless you’re paying for something)
• keep an eye on your card when you’re buying something and watch for double swiping of your card
• always take your credit card receipt
• only deal with well-known and trusted companies when making online purchases with your card and try not to give your card details over the phone
• look out for strange devices on ATMs
• keep an eye out for unusual transactions on your card. • If you believe you have been scammed or your credit cards have been compromised, call your bank immediately to have your account and cards cancelled.