Services › Anti-Spam › Fraud Awareness Week 2012
19–25 March 2012
Fraud Awareness Week is the annual campaign run by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs' Scamwatch to warn New Zealanders of scammers and their constantly evolving tactics.
Consumer fraud is now predominantly committed through online portals. Even the massive cold-calling computer virus scam from last year used internet sites and online tools to gain the confidence of its victims.
Some of the highest losses are those lost to confidence scams where our trust in the good nature of people is literally losing us millions of dollars every year!
Protect your personal information and financial details - don't provide your details to anyone who has contacted you out of the blue whom you don't know and trust. Even if they claim to be from a reputable company or Government department it may still be a scam.
If you get a cold call from someone claiming you are entitled to a refund, have won a holiday or have a virus on your computer, hang up immediately. Don’t be intimidated by the caller. Cutting off their lifeline is the best way to disrupt scammers.
Our Anti-Spam Compliance Unit publishes information about the many scams circulating and tips for avoiding scams.
Businesses and individuals can report scams to the Anti-Spam team using the online Complaints Form.
We are also responsible for identity verification and authentication services, which enable people to prove and confirm their identity securely when dealing with government service providers on the Internet, and provide information about identity theft.
