Scamwatch: How to recognise, avoid and act against scams.
A scam or a fraud is any scheme designed to con you out of money or steal your personal information. If someone contacts you unexpectedly – whether over the phone, through the post, by email, on a website, in person or on social media – always consider the possibility that it may be a scam.
Scammers target lots of people, often for small amounts of money. They constantly evolve their approach making scams harder to spot. Most scams come from overseas, but they may pretend to be locally based — from a reputable company, bank, or government agency, or even from your friends on social media if your account has been hacked. It is very difficult to get your money back once it is sent overseas.
Scams hurt us all. You can protect yourself and others by learning how to spot scams, share what you see and report them.
Figure out if you are being scammed: Use these questions to help figure out if you have been targeted by a scammer.
Article compiled from information kindly supplied by ConsumerProtection.govt.nz
Q&A regarding Neighbourly data breach
Poll: Does a savoury scone require cheese on top, or folded inside?
Help settle the great kiwi debate ... cheese on top, or folded inside?
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76.1% Inside!
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23.9% On top!
Mr Minit in Chartwell: Be wary
Hi all,
Just sharing my experience. I had the battery for my car key replaced in March 2025 at Mr. Minit in Chartwell. I was given a one‑year warranty, which seemed impressive at the time.
However, the battery stopped working early Mar 26. With the warranty card, I brought the key back to have it checked and replaced. What I didn’t realise was that the battery was *not* actually replaced. He only tested it with a meter. When I asked whether he had replaced the battery, he said “yes,” but that wasn’t true. He then said he had tested the battery level and there was no need to replace it. When I asked to see the meter, it showed the battery was in the green zone which means it was ok.
I was then advised that I might need to replace the entire key unit. I asked whether he had properly troubleshot the issue to confirm it was the battery and not the key itself. His reply was that he normally doesn’t do that, but I was a “special case.” That means, the warranty card was a misrepresentation and there was no real intention of replacing the battery when it was faulty.
After he finally replaced the battery with a new one, my key worked perfectly again.
**Lesson learned:**
Make sure you take a photo of your warranty card. I feel like the warranty is mostly for show — if I had lost it, I would have been charged another $20+ for a battery. Worst still, I would have to pay more to change the key unit unnecessarily.
Make sure you witness that they replace your old battery with a new one if it's still under warranty.
Got more greens than you know what to do with? 🥦🌱🥕
Whether it’s a courgette takeover or a feijoa frenzy, don’t let those garden gems go to waste!
Our suggestion to you: Did you know you can grate and freeze excess courgettes to use in chocolate cake later? It sounds a bit dodgy, but it makes the cake incredibly moist ... and hey, it counts as a serving of veg, right? 🍫
What’s your go-to move for a bumper harvest? Drop your best "glut" recipes or preservation hacks in the comments below! 👇
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