Scams and fraud: New Zealand.

A take-home sheet for people at the session. Other countries: United States · United Kingdom · Canada · Australia · India · Philippines.

Moraph for Good · Fluent

Scams and fraud: New Zealand

Handout · moraph.org/commons/sessions/fluent/scams-and-fraud

Every scam ends with a request to move money or share a code, and that is the moment to stop. This sheet has the warning signs, the first-hour steps, and where to report where you live.

The habit

Stop, hang up, and call back on a number you already have
Check new bank details by phone before you pay
Never read out a code you didn’t ask for

Warning signs

Contact out of the blue, with urgency or secrecy
A “safe account”, or new bank details
Guaranteed high returns, or fees to withdraw
Someone met online who needs money

The first hour

Stop paying, and call your bank on the number on your card
Change passwords you gave away, and keep the evidence
Report it to the police and the services below
Watch for recovery offers, and tell someone you trust

Signs of identity theft

Transactions or accounts you don’t recognize
Bills or debt letters for things you didn’t buy
Refused credit you would expect to get

In New Zealand

Call your bank first. If you’ve lost money to a scam, card fraud or identity theft, contact your bank immediately; the sooner it knows, the greater the likelihood of getting the money back. Change passwords for any accounts linked to the scam.
Where to report. Report money lost in a scam to New Zealand Police on 105, the non-emergency number, or online. Report scams and computer or security issues to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), online or by phone, investment scams to the Financial Markets Authority, and spam texts and emails to the Department of Internal Affairs.
What banks should never ask. Government guidance lists five things banks should never do: ask you to click a link in a text, ask for texted codes, passwords or PINs, ask you to move money to another account to keep it safe, rush you into something unusual, or ask for remote access to your device. Hang up and call your bank on its publicly available number.
Recovery scams. Some scammers target recent victims, for example by pretending to be an enforcement agency that can return all your money for a fee. Don’t pay anyone who promises to get your lost money back.
Support after a scam. The Department of Internal Affairs points people to IDCARE for victim support after online scams. A scam becomes fraud, a criminal offence, when someone uses your details for their own gain or gets money from you under false pretences.

Official places to check:

Consumer Protection (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment): www.consumerprotection.govt.nz/general-help/scamwatch/scammed-take-action
Consumer Protection (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment): www.consumerprotection.govt.nz/general-help/scamwatch/identify-a-scam
New Zealand Police: www.police.govt.nz/105support
National Cyber Security Centre: www.ncsc.govt.nz/report
Department of Internal Affairs: www.dia.govt.nz/Spam-About-Scams-and-Phishing

More free official help in New Zealand: moraph.org/commons/help/financial-literacy/nz

General information, not advice about your own situation. Checked 20 October 2026. If an official source says something different, it is right. Free to copy and adapt. moraph.org/commons/sessions/fluent/scams-and-fraud