25.12.2024 [whosenumber.nz]
New Zealand Police are once again warning about scammers posing as police officers who attempt to obtain the banking credentials of elderly people.
The latest case known to authorities occurred last Saturday: scammers, pretending to be police officers and bank representatives, managed to trick an elderly woman living in New Zealand into handing over her banking details.
According to police, the offenders withdrew several thousand New Zealand dollars from the woman’s bank account.
The victim received three calls from an unknown number. The first call came from a woman who introduced herself as a police officer, claiming that the woman’s banking details had been identified during an investigation.
Shortly afterwards, the woman was contacted by a man who posed as a representative of her bank and told her that several thousand dollars had already been taken from her account.
Finally, a third call came from a man claiming to be a senior officer from New Zealand Police who said he was handling the case. He asked the woman to provide her online banking details in order to “recover” the stolen money. Believing the story, the victim shared her credentials. The man then told her that the funds had been recovered.
At the end of the conversation, however, the man instructed her not to use her bank account and not to tell anyone about what had happened. At that point, the elderly woman realised she had been scammed and immediately blocked access to her online banking.
The woman reported the incident online, but by that time the money had already been withdrawn from her account.
– In cases of fraud like this, online reports may not reach police quickly enough. It is crucial to report the incident immediately, including by calling the emergency number 111, so there is still a chance to stop or limit the transfer of funds, a New Zealand Police spokesperson explained.
Police remind the public that they will never ask anyone for their banking codes or login details under any circumstances. Banks and other government agencies will also never request such information by phone, email, text message, or online chat.
Authorities strongly encourage family members and caregivers to discuss these scams with elderly relatives and remind them that bank cards and banking details must never be shared with anyone – even if the request appears to come from a “police officer”.
If banking credentials have already been provided to a scammer, both the police and the bank should be contacted immediately. All scam attempts should also be reported to the authorities.