New Zealand Police has warned people of Indian origin against another wave of immigration scam, conforming to the earlier versions.
Unsuspecting men and women receive phone calls claiming to be from Immigration New Zealand (INZ). The caller identifies them by name and other personal details, demands immediate payment to ‘set right’ inadequate fees collected while granting resident visas and directs them to remit the amount into a Western Union account.
The caller further volunteers a ‘friendly advice’ that he would ‘hold on’ until the financial transaction is completed.
Aggressive calls
A Police statement said that the callers can be persistent and aggressive, since they have a record of the personal details of their contacts.
“The calls may appear to emanate from an INZ call centre- it is not so. Banks, INZ and Inland Revenue will never email, call or message customers demanding transfer of money. If you receive such calls, please hang up and contact the Police or report to ‘Scamwatch’ at www.consumerprotection.govt.nz/scams,” the statement said.