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(06) 353 8655
Scams seem to be doing the rounds constantly. We hear so many stories of people being swindled out of their hard earned cash, and scammers are getting increasingly sophisticated with their tactics.
Over the years we see the ‘classic’ Nigerian-type email scam, as well as ongoing dodgy emails from the ‘bank’ telling us that we need to re-enter our banking details onto a linked site that looks a lot like the real one. Most of us have avoided too much pain from these types of tactics, and are now a lot less gullible when it comes to this type of thing.
This last week however, the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has made people aware of a newer scam doing the rounds where people are rung and told they owe the IRD money. Further details are available by clicking on the following link http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/public-warned-aggressive-ird-scam-6036817
This is quite a disconcerting story, and the fact that scammers can even make it look like it is a real call from the IRD (via caller I.D.) is another step up again. Most people have a bit of fear when it comes to the IRD, and probably don’t want to be seen to argue too much, and this feeling must contribute to the success of the scam.
As usual however, public awareness of a scam is helpful for others to avoid it by recognising it for what it is, however there are some tried and true ways (rules) for avoiding scams, and I though it may be useful to be reminded of them at this time.
Rule 1 – Never be in a haste to make money online. Many people like to try to make money quickly, however most scams can be avoided by thorough investigation initially.
Rule 2 – Never ever send money until you are absolutely sure that the deal is real.
Rule 3 – Never post any financial detail or important personal information online. This is becoming challenging in our ‘social media’ focussed world, but vital nonetheless.
Rule 4 – Never fall for anything too glamorous that comes your way easy. If it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is! Sometimes ‘offers’ come our way that prey on our pride or ego also; a special deal or something similar. Be very careful of these as they can easily create blind spots in our judgement.
Rule 5 – Always read the terms and conditions. The fine print matters, and you need to be careful that you go into any arrangements (especially contracts) with our eyes wide open.
Rule 6 – Avoid strange emails. Never reply to emails sent by strangers especially if they claim to know you or close family members, but you can’t recall them at all! These emails include messages telling you your account has been blocked, or that you need to update or renew your credit card details by ‘clicking here’.
Rule 7 – Avoid pop ups. The most common scam is when you are told that you have won a lottery and you just need to ‘click here’ to claim your prize.
We could have added rules around using common sense, but I’m amazed at how many people fall to scams at one stage or another. Some very intelligent people can do some very silly things at times. Following these rules won’t guarantee that you want be caught by a scammers, but hopefully you will be a little safer from scammers and con artists.