If you receive phone calls or emails claiming to be from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) for tax funds, you should ignore them.
A number of Indian Newslink readers have said that they are in recipient of such communication, some saying that the calls appeared genuine.
A spokesperson for RBNZ warned people that the callers are fraudsters using the Bank’s name in an effort to make their scam appear genuine.
“The scammers typically tell their victims that they need to pay to process or release a tax refund, or a one-off bonus from the Government, or to receive some unclaimed money. The scammers often ask their victim for immediate payment via a website, which sends the money to the Philippines or India,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Dropping names
The scammers sometimes claim to work for RBNZ, Inland Revenue Department (IRD) or Prime Minister John Key.
They try to reassure their victims by claiming that the RBNZ can provide a “receipt number” or other proof that the “release payment” has been made.
“The Reserve Bank’s name is used in an effort to reassure their victims that the scam is genuine. These scammers are just trying to steal money. They are not genuine; they are fraudsters.
“RBNZ is not involved in tax refunds or tax collection. Tax refunds are managed by IRD, which doesn’t ask for payments in order to process refunds. You need not to pay IRD or any other government agency to receive a tax refund, bonus payment or receive unclaimed money,’ the spokesperson said.
“The Reserve Bank strongly advises people to not answer questions from these scammers, not transfer money to them, and simply hang up the phone if they call.”
