Over 100,000 reports received, life savings lost over ‘NZTA toll’ scam
Tuesday, 6 June 2023
A circulating scam has led to people losing large amounts of money, with 100,000 complaints having been made so far.
The ‘NZTA toll’ phishing scam has been circulating Aotearoa since late 2022.
It presents itself as a genuine SMS text messages from legitimate organisations such as Waka Kotahi – New Zealand Transport Agency, NZ Post, Inland Revenue, and numerous New Zealand-based banks.
In the message is a link which leads to a fake website where people were asked to enter information including internet banking login details, credit card details, driver licence and other personal details.
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It also includes gambling and prize scams.
“We are seeing cases where everyday New Zealanders have lost their entire life savings to this scam, in some cases upwards of $10,000”, said John Michael, Deputy Director of Operations at the Department of Internal Affairs.
“We work closely with NZ mobile network operators and NZ Police and are aware of scam technology currently operating in main townships and city locations in both the North and South Island. We are confident in our ability to identify the users of this technology.”
“We estimate that we have received over 100,000 reports related to this scam so far,” a DIA spokesperson added.
Have you been affected? Email aucklandnewsroom@stuff.co.nz
The DIA has asked anyone who has been approached about a business opportunity that involves sending large amounts of SMS text messages, or know someone who has, to contact info@antispam.govt.nz.
This comes as banks are reminding customers to stay vigilant as phishing scams circulate.
ANZ said customers were receiving a variety of text messages and emails claiming to be from Inland Revenue (IR) and Waka Kotahi.
The messages include a link to receive a tax refund, a cost of living payment or to renew a vehicle license registration.
Advice for dealing with scams
Not all messages will look the same, as scammers change their wording over time.
Do not engage with or click any links before you know a message is genuine.
To check if a message is genuine, check directly with the people it came from. Go to
the organisation’s website or check your online account directly.
Scam messages commonly contain bad or irregular spelling and grammar. Use this as your first sign that this could be a scam.
Never provide any card or personal details if you do click a bad link.
If you have paid money already, speak to your bank as soon as possible and let them
know what’s happened.
It can be harder for people that don’t frequently use their phone to recognise a scam,
such as the elderly or vulnerable. Check in with your whānau to help them learn how to avoid falling victim to an SMS scam.