Police warn businesses to stay alert

The Team from North Shore, Rodney & West Auckland Police

Waitematā Police are reminding businesses to be vigilant, after a spate of attempted fraudulent activity in recent weeks.

Waitematā CIB Detective Sergeant Mark Renfree says Police are aware of three recent incidents where a person or persons have attempted to obtain goods fraudulently.
“In each case, an individual has called a local hardware-type business and placed an order for a large amount of product. This person has attempted to charge the product to the account of a company known to the business.”
Once approved, the scammer has sent an Uber driver to pick up the items.

“So not only are they committing fraud, but they are also putting innocent and unaware Uber drivers into the middle of this offending,” Detective Sergeant Renfree says.

An investigation into these incidents is ongoing, however Police want to warn businesses to be aware of this specific type of scam and to take steps to safeguard against it.

“Our message is simple, do not allow anyone to charge items to an account without verifying them and obtaining identification of the caller,” says Detective Sergeant Renfree. “Anyone purchasing goods should know all the company details they are charging to.”

Businesses should follow these steps:
• Verify all orders placed over the phone, especially if the caller is unknown
• Cross-check contact details with official account records
• Do not dispatch goods until the order is confirmed by a known contact
• Report any suspicious activity to Police

“We are reminding people to be vigilant and cross-check all details,” Detective Sergeant Renfree says. “And most importantly, do not hand over anything until you are satisfied everything is correct.”

Police are encouraging any suspicious behaviour to be reported online at 105.police.govt.nz or by calling 105.

Information can also be reported anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.