Scam alert - Nationwide
Real Police officers are warning Kiwis to be vigilant of cold callers posing as Police officers, as a pesky scam rears its head.
In the past year, Police have worked quickly to warn the public as these scam calls emerged.
Waitematā CIB’s acting Detective Senior Sergeant Ben Bergin says, “unsuspecting victims are essentially being called out of the blue under a ruse”.
“The story changes slightly, but it will usually involve some sort of investigation and this ‘officer’ will report having located a valuable item of yours, such as a passport.
“He will need your help or ask for your personal information.
“The caller speaks with an English accent and provides a bogus ID number to the victim.”
If you receive a phone call such as this, Police advise the public to be extremely cautious.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Bergin says previous iterations of this scam has involved scammers asking people to withdraw cash as part of ‘an investigation’ or handing over bank details.
Police made several arrests last year over the scam.
“We strongly advise that you hang up,” he says.
“From time-to-time, Police officers may contact you as part of their genuine duties.
“It can be a bit surprising to receive a call unexpectantly, so stop and think if you get a far-fetched story shared down the telephone line.”
In the past week, Police have received reports from Kiwis on both islands, including: Warkworth, Riverhead, Royal Oak, Ngaruawahia and in the Clutha and Queenstown-Lakes districts.
“Fortunately, at this stage we are not aware of any victims losing money,” acting Detective Senior Sergeant Bergin says.
“Those recipients have done the right thing and ended the call and reported it to the real Police.”
If you have received a similar call, please report this to Police online now or call 105.
𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗭𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 ⤵️
🚔Police will never ask for your bank details, pin numbers or banking log in.
🚔Police do not offer prize money
🚔 Police will never ask you to go to a bank and withdraw your own cash
🚔 Stop and think: If the call seems off, hang up and call 105 to verify the officer’s identity, or request a callback.
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.1% Yes
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46.9% No
Stay sun safe
The temperature is rising, rapidly. My house is making those “I’m about to go nuclear” noises and the forecast is for 35°C on Monday.
Stay in the shade, but put sunscreen on 20 minutes (ears, noses, hands, feet, back, front, top, bottom, and everything in between) before you go into the sun or the water. It doesn’t work otherwise. And reapply no more than 2 hourly, staying out of the water and sun for 20 minutes afterwards.
Wear teeshirts and hats. Keep hydrated. Milk keeps you hydrated longer than water. You won’t pee as much. Alcohol dehydrates you. Save that till after the sun goes down.
Reflective sunburn is a thing, too. The sun reflecting off of other surfaces, including water, will burn you as quickly, if not quicker, than direct sunlight. Some reflective surfaces can magnify the suns effect.
If you are taking little ones out in strollers cover them with a light cloth, if you don’t have a stroller cover. A thin sheet will do, but leave the side open for fresh air. And you can get kids sunnies from most emporiums, like 1,2,3 plus or “Everything is $2” or the like.
And if you are going out, secure your windows and doors. Shut the curtains on the sun side to keep it cooler. Opportunists will opportune. And insurance doesn’t like it if you leave the house unsecured.
If you are staying in, open the windows and close the curtains. Make sure you use door jams, or you’ll find doors slamming with the lightest breeze.
Cover pets paws if you are walking them on concrete or bitumen. They will burn badly as the dark ground heats up. You can also get sunscreen for large animals.
Make sure there is plenty of water out for your pets. Cats need at least a cup a day, dogs up to 4 litres.
If you are on a walking route, put out buckets of water for dogs and cats, just to be neighbourly.
This photo was a school afternoon at the village pools.
He ended up with second degree sunburn. The white spots were the blisters forming. The scabs on his back were popped blisters, not just peeling, and he was sick for three days.
It’s no joke. And NZ has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. And skin cancer is a killer.
Check on your friends and family, especially the vulnerable ones.
You all matter. Take care of yourselves and each other.
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
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