561 days ago

Be aware of text messages that are Scams

The Team from Citizens Advice Christchurch Area

So how does the scam work?

The message will look like it comes from a legitimate New Zealand agency like Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency), NZ Post, Inland Revenue, NZ Police or a Bank. It will often be sent by a number with either a 64 or 61 prefix at the beginning - country codes from New Zealand and Australia.

It will encourage you to click on a link and pay a bill or toll, sometimes to collect a cash prize.

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.

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More messages from your neighbours
10 days ago

Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.

If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?

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Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
  • 62.4% Summer
    62.4% Complete
  • 36.1% Winter
    36.1% Complete
  • 1.5% Other - I'll share below
    1.5% Complete
1711 votes
18 days ago

⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️

The Team from SPCA New Zealand

It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:

👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️

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2 days ago

Best way to use leftovers?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.

What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.

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