New Zealanders lost significantly more money from online credit card scams in October, compared to previous months.
Losses reported to Netsafe in October totalled $6264, compared to $1865 in September – a 220% jump.
In September, losses per incident averaged about $50, whereas the average loss last month was about $220.
However, the number of reports to Netsafe fell from 37 in September to 28 in October.
Netsafe chief online safety officer Sean Lyons said the sharp rise in financial losses suggested scammers were getting more sophisticated with their tactics.
“The quality of what people are being presented with is, on the whole, increasingly improving.
“Red flags we might’ve relied on previously – the spelling is wrong, it doesn’t look right or I’m pretty sure that’s not what the logo of this particular agency looks like – are becoming less valuable as a method for us to check whether something is a scam.”
Credit card-related scams typically involve scammers collecting payment card numbers and using them to make purchases or other payments online.
Lyons said people were being targeted via email, text, private instant messaging platforms – including WhatsApp – website and social media ads, and phone calls.
He said looking up an organisation’s contact details and getting in touch with them directly was the best way to confirm whether a message was genuine.
“It might say that you have a payment due or a package waiting to be delivered.
“Don’t be pressured into making a decision on the scammer’s timeline. Step back, get advice from the people around you or give Netsafe a call.
“Make sure what you’re engaging with is actually genuine and you’re not being sucked into a scam.”
With the festive season and Black Friday approaching, he said people should be extra vigilant, if asked to pay for something or if they saw an offer that seemed too good to be true.
“It’s a time when people let their guard down a bit. When we are looking for deals or ordering and expecting the arrival of things, we can be more susceptible to these scams.”
rnz.co.nz
