Online phishing scam
With Christmas fast approaching, Police are encouraging people to be aware of online phishing scams.
The holiday season can already be a stressful time, and the last thing you want is to lose large sums of money to a scam.
A phishing scam is an online scam, where the offender pretends to be a trustworthy person or organisation to try and get a victim’s personal information.
Police has received a number of phishing scam reports with offenders targeting people who are selling items or services online like Trade Me and Facebook Marketplace.
The offenders pretend to be an interested buyer, and urgently request to buy your product and arrange a courier pickup.
The victim receives a fake courier website link to complete a verification process asking for personal details, like bank account numbers, passwords, and phone numbers.
Once provided these details, the offender uses these to access a victim’s bank account, tricking the victim into proving any multifactor authentication code sent from the victim’s bank.
The money in the victim’s bank account is then taken by the offender once access is gained.
Police are urging members of the public to be cautious, especially when someone in person or online is asking you to give them money or your personal details like bank accounts and passwords.
Never comply with a request asking you to provide or ‘verify’ your online banking details.
Legitimate organisations will never ask you to do this.
If you are unsure if it is real, please contact your bank by the phone number on their official website or go to your nearest branch.
If you receive a courier website link from a potential buyer, this is likely a scam.
Please do not fill out the verification process.
Use the social media/trading platform’s reporting tools to report the scam and the user involved.
You can also make a report to Netsafe at report.netsafe.org.nz.
If you have handed over your online banking details, contact your bank immediately and suspend your account.
If you think you have been scammed (provided your banking details and/or suffered a loss), please gather as much information you can and make a report to Police online through 105.police.govt.nz or call 105.
Secure your homes over summer
Police are reminding people to keep their homes secure during the summer months.
Inspector Glenda Barnaby, Christchurch Area Prevention manager, says daytime burglaries are just as common as nightime burglaries.
“Burglaries can be committed at any time of the day, and coming into warmer months there is more opportunity for thieves."
"Although a majority of burglaries involve forced entry through windows and doors, we are starting to see more incidents at insecure premises. Police deal with cases where burglaries are committed in broad daylight, sometimes even while the victim is at home. Good weather means open doors and windows, which makes homes more vulnerable to burglars.”
Inspector Barnaby says there’s a few things people can do to reduce their changes of a burglary being committed.
⚠️ If you’re going outside for gardening, relaxing in the sun, or working in the garage, take a moment to lock your doors and secure your windows first.
⚠️ Do the same at night when you go to bed - keep your doors and windows secure and close your curtains. Fitting window stays means you can get a breeze coming through, while keeping your windows secure.
⚠️ Get to know your neighbours - let them know if you’re going away and look out for one another.”
If you see any suspicious activity, people or vehicles in your neighbourhood, don't hesitate to contact Police.
If you witness or suspect any illegal activity, please call 111 if it is happening now, or make a report through 105 either online or over the phone, if it is after the fact.
Read if you are in need of work to be done or looking to do work
Palmerston North people 👋
It seems like nearly every second day we are hearing about someone who has been scammed or messed around when they’re just trying to organise simple help. That's why I'm testing an idea for a local odd-jobs platform to help people get small household tasks done without the stress of trying to find someone reliable.
The goal is to build something that feels safe, local, and fair for everyone.
clear job descriptions
transparent pricing/bids
real profiles + ratings
We’ll start small with non-licensed jobs like:
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🪣cleaning
🏠 minor repairs & maintenance (non-licensed)
The pilot won’t include electrical, gas, or certified plumbing.
With the cost of living right now, if you want to jump onboard as a customer or worker i’ve made an early access waitlist:
Join the early access list here: forms.gle...
I’ve also got a fully anonymous survey up that takes less than two minutes. This will help me tailor the categories, pricing expectations and see what people want most:
Quick survey here: forms.gle...
If you’ve ever struggled to get a small job done because it’s “too small” for tradies, or if you’re someone who wants to earn extra money doing honest work - I’d really love your input.
👉You can also book on behalf of a family member who needs a bit of extra help.
Thanks heaps 🙌
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