Police warn of phone scam

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Police are warning people to be wary of scammers purporting to be from Spark and/or OFCANZ (Organised and Financial Crime Agency) who are seeking access to victim’s computers and bank accounts.

Police have been made aware of a recent incident where a person received a call from someone claiming to be from Spark, saying their computer had been accessed illegally or used for criminal purposes. The caller then said they were transferring the person to OFCANZ. The “OFCANZ employee” then gave the person instructions on how to allow them access to their computer and sought access to the person’s bank accounts. OFCANZ was renamed and is no longer used within Police.

Police’s message on scams like this is simple – do not engage with anyone on the phone if you think you are being scammed – hang up immediately and report the incident.

If you are in doubt as to a caller's legitimacy, ask if you can call them back, or just hang up. Information on other scams that are currently operating can be found on the Consumer Protection NZ website.