Common Snapchat Scams & Prevention Methods in New Zealand (2023)

FAQs

What are the latest scams in NZ? ›

One of the best ways to track down a scammer is by reporting them to the police. The process for reporting an incident will vary depending on how it was committed, but once filed, you should receive a number that you can keep for your records. Once the police have your information, they can act against the scammer.

Contact you unexpectedly — One of the easiest ways to spot a scammer is if they contact you first. If you receive any message, phone call, or email from someone you don't know, verify they are who they say by contacting their agency or business directly.

Fraud is a criminal offence. 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.

IP tracing

An IP address can be used to trace the location of the scammer if the IP address is not hidden using a VPN or other means. There are a variety of ways to obtain someone's IP address.

Contact your bank immediately to let them know what's happened and ask if you can get a refund. Most banks should reimburse you if you've transferred money to someone because of a scam.

This means the caller ID displays a number (frequently with a local area code) to disguise the real number of the caller. Spoofed calls are nearly impossible to track. However, I always recommend running a Google search on the phone number.

How do I stop myself from being scammed? ›

Always use password protection, don't share access with others (including remotely), update security software and back up content. Protect your WiFi network with a password and avoid using public computers or WiFi hotspots to access online banking or provide personal information. Choose your passwords carefully.

Be on the lookout for these red flags: Being asked to pay money in order to receive a prize or get a job. Pressure to act immediately. Use of scare tactics, e.g. telling you a loved one is in danger, that your computer has been hacked or threatening arrest if you don't act now.

Romance scammers usually use fake profile images in order to protect their own identities. To keep you interested and prevent you from questioning their identity, romance scammers will often continually make promises to meet in person, even if that means flying overseas.

For victim support for online scams please contact ID Care on 0800 201 415.

Report a romance scam

You can report a scam to www.netsafe.org.nz/report.

Although fraud is listed as a crime in the criminal code, generally the only time law enforcement will prosecute someone for fraud is for high profile cases or situations where they have already arrested someone and the law enforcement agency adds fraud charges to the other charges they already have against the person.

With a community-based spam list that updates in real-time to fight robocalls, scams, and unwanted numbers, Truecaller is the only Live Caller ID & Spam Blocking app you'll ever need. ‣ Enter any number to lookup name and other contact info (Works for domestic and international numbers!)

What information can a scammer get? ›

What they want are account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers, and other confidential information that they can use to loot your checking account or run up bills on your credit cards. Identity thieves can take out loans or obtain credit cards and even driver's licenses in your name.

Scammers use auto-dialers and spoofed area codes to trick people into picking up the phone. From there, it's a numbers game. The scammers want to get as much personal information from the call recipient as possible. That can include anything from names and birth dates to credit card numbers.

As a general rule, banks can reverse a payment made in error only with the consent of the person who received it. Your bank and the recipient's bank will need to co-operate to try to recover the payment.

Fraudsters can get ahold of your card details in a few different ways—one of them being through an ATM card skimming device. Nefarious parties can also gain access to old bank statements or debit cards, or direct you to make a payment on a fraudulent website that collects your details.

If you gave the fraudster your bank account number or routing number, contact your bank or credit union immediately. You may need to close the account and open a new one. Social security number. Go ahead with a fraud alert or credit freeze and report your information stolen at the FTC's identitytheft.gov website.

This person may be the actual fraudster or someone the criminal has manipulated into acting as a front for the fraud. The accounts are then used to either launder money or commit future fraud. Criminals use stolen credentials and personal data to open accounts in the names of individuals without their knowledge.

The scammers divert your mail to the new mailing address where they have access. They open your mail and access your bank statements, drivers license renewals, and other sensitive information they can use to rob you or conduct financial crimes under your name.

Don't reply directly to any spam text message

Directly replying to a spam text message lets a spammer know that your number is genuine. What happens next? They can sell your phone number to other spammers who might bombard you with promises of free gifts and product offers.

Activate Call Trace

Hang up the phone after receiving a harassing call. Pick up the phone and press *57 (touch tone) or 1157 (rotary). You'll hear a confirmation tone and message will be heard If the trace is successful.

Call return (*69) automatically dials your last incoming call, whether the call was answered, unanswered or busy. Call within 30 minutes, during which you can still make and receive calls. To deactivate while waiting for the party you are trying to reach to become available, dial *89.

What can a scammer do with my phone number and picture? ›

They could pretend to be you in order to open credit accounts – such as for credit cards – leaving you with the bill for their purchases. Identity thieves could also use your details for non-financial scams, such as pretending to be you on dating websites.

Distraction: Scammers routinely distract their victims, making them more likely to fall for a scam. They may distract people with requests that don't involve money, so AP staff become more trusting. Once trust is established, they then proceed to deceive the victim into taking an action that involves money.

Call blocking can help stop robocalls from scammers. But some robocalls might still get through. If you get an illegal robocall, hang up. Don't press a number, which could lead to more robocalls.

Research has found that our brains have an “optimism bias”, which is, simply put, the belief that we're less likely than our peers to experience negative events and more likely to experience positive ones. Some call it an illusion of invulnerability – and it is one reason we end up victims of scams.

Cyber criminals are targeting organizations that use popular cloud-based email services to conduct BEC scams. Business email compromise/email account compromise is a sophisticated scam that targets both businesses and individuals who perform legitimate transfer-of-funds requests.

Thieves stole more than $1 billion in romance scams last year and the Federal Trade Commission is warning how thieves get money from would-be victims. Romance scammers raked in big bucks in 2022, deceiving almost 70,000 people out of $1.3 billion, according to a new report from the Federal Trade Commission.

Establish if the website is genuine

You can check whether the owners of domain names are registered in New Zealand by visiting the New Zealand Domain Name Commission register. Check if they are a registered New Zealand companies in the Companies Register. Both databases include contact and ownership details.

1. Facebook, Account Cloning: Scammers use the photos and information on your public profile to create a replica account. They ask your friends and family for money and send them malicious links that if clicked can steal their personal and financial information leading to identity theft and financial ruin.

What are the biggest online scams? ›

One of the most prevalent and successful online scams is phishing. This involves the scammer luring you into providing them with personal information, such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, or other sensitive information they can use to make purchases, steal your identity, or more.

It turns out that the Philippines is responsible for the highest number of dating scam cases. Over 1,300 romance fraud cases have been reported against the country, and they are responsible for a whopping $4 million in financial loss. Ranking in second place is Nigeria.

For victim support for online scams please contact ID Care on 0800 201 415.

.nz is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for New Zealand. It is administered by InternetNZ, with oversight and dispute resolution handled by the Domain Name Commission Limited (DNCL).

A website with '. nz' at the end isn't always a New Zealand business. So, if it looks local but feels funny, check first if a company is registered to sell products in New Zealand. To find a business's trading name, physical address and email you can also search for their New Zealand Business Number (NZBN).