Elderly Kiwis hit by phone scam
Hi neighbours. Police have warned of a phone scam which has left victims hundreds of thousands of dollars out of pocket. The scam, carried out by fraudsters claiming to be Spark and/or police, convinces victims to withdraw thousands of dollars from their bank accounts and send it to domestic and international addresses.
Last month, officers intercepted two separate packages in Auckland containing a total of $25,000. The two victims, one of whom was an 84-year-old woman, had their money returned by police.
However, most who fall for the scam won't be so lucky.
Have you - or someone you know - lost money to this scam? Let us know in the comments or send us an email at newstips@stuff.co.nz
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Brain Teaser of the Day 🧠✨ Can You Solve It? 🤔💬
Make a hearty dish. Take just half a minute. Add four parts of kestrel. Then just add one. What have you made?
(Trev from Silverdale kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Trev!)
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!
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Nominations are officially open for the 2026 Westfield Local Heroes program
Know someone in your community who is driving positive change?
Westfield is inviting you to nominate your local hero online.
The successful hero for each New Zealand Westfield destination will be awarded a $20,000 grant for the organisation or group they represent, and each finalist will receive a $5,000 grant for their organisation or group.
Find out more about the program and nominate your Local Hero now
Poll: Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?
As reported in the Post, there’s a $30 million funding gap in financial mentoring. This has led to services closing and mentors stepping in unpaid just to keep helping people in need 🪙💰🪙
One proposed solution? Small levies on industries that profit from financial hardship — like banks, casinos, and similar companies.
So we want to hear what you think:
Should the government ask these industries to contribute?
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59.5% Yes, supporting people is important!
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26.2% No, individuals should take responsibility
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14.4% ... It is complicated
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