Scam
nz police Safer Communities Together
"Arrest made in scam targeting elderly victims"
To be attributed to Detective Sergeant Colin Baillie:
Christchurch Police have this morning arrested a 22-year-old man in relation to a telephone scam that has been targeting elderly people across New Zealand.
The man will be appearing in Christchurch District Court this afternoon on five charges of causing loss by deception, as well as perverting the course of justice and breach of bail.
The charges follow a police investigation into the scam, whereby offenders make contact with elderly people over the phone, claiming to be from power companies and banks and threatening to disconnect their power if payment is not made immediately.
Enquiries into the scam are continuing, and Police still have a large number of people to speak to in relation to this offending.
We would like to hear from anyone who believes they may have been a victim of this scam and has not yet spoken to Police; and to anyone else who might have information pertinent to the investigation.
Please contact Christchurch Police on 03 363 7400.
Police would also like to reiterate that banks will never ask for account details over the phone.
If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from your bank and they ask for such details, hang up immediately.
Other advice for people who receive calls of this nature includes:
• Seek validation of who the caller actually is.
Always ask for a full name and the company or agency details.
• Validate the phone number of the caller and ask that they call you from a landline if they are using a mobile phone.
• Ignore calls from unknown mobile numbers.
• Don’t share your personal details until you are convinced the caller is legitimate.
• If you are threatened, simply hang up.
• Don’t trust anyone who calls you and asks for financial information such as your account details and password – again simply hang up, call them on their published contact 0800 number or arrange a meeting at the relevant agency branch.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre.
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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36.5% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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63.5% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Scam Alert: Bank cold calls
ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.
🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.
Remember, banks will:
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.
If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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