A time to be vigilant
It's tax return time. Scammers are impersonating Inland Revenue (IR) - and even the Police to steal personal information and money.
They may contact you by email, text, or phone, claiming:
🔹 You're owed a tax refund and must provide your bank details to receive it.
🔹 You owe tax and need to pay immediately to avoid legal trouble.
How to stay safe:
✅ Don’t click on links in emails or texts - log in to your myIR account directly.
✅ Check the sender - official IRD emails always end in @ird.govt.nz.
✅ Be cautious with texts - IRD only sends messages from four-digit codes, not
regular phone numbers.
Learn more about protecting yourself from tax scams:
netsafe.org.nz...
Is there an algae issue where you are?
Once touted as an anglers paradise, and a top water-sport playground on the Waikato River, Mangakino is in danger of becoming a ghost town as toxic algal blooms slowly suck the life out of its main attraction - Lake Maraetai.
Locals say cyanobacterial algal blooms in the river’s hydro lakes have become more frequent over the past five years, and when they arrive no-one can swim or fish in them.
Is there an algae issue where you are? Tell us more in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
Tamahere home in dentist case was once centre of accountant’s fraud
It’s been a feature in a recent Hamilton District Court trial , but a Tamahere mansion already has an complicated history.
The property in Woodcock Rd - notable for having a hydroslide in the back yard - the scene of now-disproved alleged sexual offending by Hamilton dentist Rahul Gautam - made headlines more than 15 years ago, when it was a focus in the case of accountant Gary Soffe.
Poll: As a customer, what do you think about automation?
The Press investigates the growing reliance on your unpaid labour.
Automation (or the “unpaid shift”) is often described as efficient ... but it tends to benefit employers more than consumers.
We want to know: What do you think about automation?
Are you for, or against?
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9.2% For. Self-service is less frustrating and convenient.
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43.7% I want to be able to choose.
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47.1% Against. I want to deal with people.
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