25.02.2024 [whosenumber.nz]
More than 13,000 scam text messages were sent nationwide.
New Zealand Police have completed preliminary investigations into a series of SMS scams, according to an official statement.
According to investigators, the main suspect, a 25-year-old man, together with accomplices, allegedly sent messages pretending to be the victims’ children.
Last autumn, more than 13,000 fraudulent SMS messages were sent across various parts of New Zealand. A total of 17 cases have so far been confirmed.
In the messages, the scammers, posing as the victims’ children, claimed they urgently needed money, for example due to a broken mobile phone.
The requested amounts ranged from a few thousand dollars to more than NZ$10,000. In one case, victims were told that their child had changed phone number after the phone malfunctioned and that an immediate bank transfer was needed to two different accounts.
In total, the suspects are believed to have obtained more than NZ$67,000.
After receiving the money, the scammers allegedly withdrew the funds in cash from several ATMs in Auckland, sharing the proceeds according to each person’s role.
– This was an aggravated and well-organised scam, carried out systematically, involving multiple victims and generating significant illegal profits, said a senior detective involved in the investigation.
The main suspect remains in custody. The case has been referred to prosecutors for further legal proceedings.