MBIE is helping New Zealanders spot scams through Fraud Awareness Week

During this year’s Fraud Awareness Week which is from 18 to 24 November, the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is warning that it is more important than ever to learn the signs of online scams. 

New data released today from Payments NZ shows $194,269,962 was lost due to scams in the past year (1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024), according to 11 of New Zealand’s largest financial institutions.  

“While it is great to see that figure fall slightly compared 2022/23, the fact that it is still high just proves scammers keep evolving to become more complex” says MBIE Business Specialist, Ian Caplin.

“We are working to help New Zealanders learn what scams look like, as we know how hard it can be to identify them.”

The Banking Ombudsman Scheme has reported a massive increase in bank impersonation scams and is warning New Zealanders to be on the lookout as scams become increasingly hard to detect.  

Learn the signs and take action

This year Fraud Awareness Week is focused on encouraging New Zealanders know the signs of phishing, impersonation and online shopping scams so they can take action to protect themselves and their family. 

If you suspect you are being scammed, it’s best to be cautious. Don’t be afraid to delete an unusual text message or hang up on a phone call you weren’t expecting” says Mr Caplin. 

“If you can stop them before they start interacting and take the time to report scams – you help protect everyone.” 

Nicola Sladden, of the Banking Ombudsman, warns New Zealanders to check very carefully before sending money or sharing personal information even if you think you’re dealing with a well known financial institution.  

 “Bank impersonations are becoming more difficult to spot. Before you send any money or information, check for yourself with the institution by contacting them directly using the contact details on their official website. Do not trust links or contact details supplied by callers” says Ms Sladden.

What to do if you are targeted by a scammer

If you have been targeted by a scammer:

• Stop all contact with the scammer.
• Do not make any more payments.
• Contact the bank or service you sent money through.
• Report it to CERT NZ – Report an incident – business and individuals (external link) – CERT NZ

For more information on what MBIE is doing during Fraud Awareness Week:

Stop them before they start(external link) – Consumer Protection

Additional information on the reported scam losses

• The reported loss of $194,269,962 is based on Payments NZ data from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024.
• Data from Payments NZ data is collated from 11 banks.
• The figure represents the total of authorised and unauthorised loss through customer accounts to scammers across bank accounts, debit and credit cards, including authorised and unauthorised payment.