If you have received an email purported to have been sent by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) stating that you need a new driver’s licence and that your personal details need to be updated, you should ignore and delete the message.
Internal Affairs Anti-spam Compliance Unit Senior Investigator Toni Demetriou has warned that this was the latest phishing email spam campaign, with false emails appearing as if they are from the NZTA.
He said the real threat was the credit card and security code details scammers obtain when recipients pay a small charge of $2 requested for changing the details.
“In an attempt to further authenticate the phishing scam, the payment processing page also has an ASB bank CardPay logo. The NZTA is urging everyone who has inadvertently provided their driver licence details on the counterfeit website to phone 0800-822422 and have their licence cancelled,” Mr Demetriou said.
Another Scam
Internal Affairs has also warned people against a scammer who calls people claiming to be an official of the Department.
The caller would say that he was representing Internal Affairs and that the Department was holding bank fee money for them, which would be released on payment of a ‘fee’ or ‘tax’.
Deputy Secretary Craig Armitage said the Department did not hold any bank fee for anyone and that it had nothing to do with such calls.
“We do not ring people offering money for a fee. Anyone who is suspicious of a call purporting to be from Internal Affairs can ask for the caller’s name, and inform us on (04) 4957200” he said.
According to him, the scammer was persistent and in some cases referred to the victim’s date of birth and their bankers.
“They have also claimed on occasions to be acting on behalf of Inland Revenue. Unfortunately some people have fallen victim and tell us they sent money to the scammers though their local post shop,” Mr Armitage said.
Las Vegas Fraud
Another scam doing its rounds involves a phone call from Las Vegas, offering you a “Holiday of a life time.”
“This is just an effort to get your credit card details, do not fall for it,” an official said.
People who have responded would receive a phone call with a recorded message advising them that they have won a holiday package.
The recorded message would then advise people to push dial key ‘9’ to learn more. Advising you of having won a prize from a competition, which you have not entered, the voice over the phone will say you need to pay a small amount through your credit card to cover some fees.
About a week or so later, you would start receiving hang-up calls or unusual numbers displayed on your Caller ID.
According to telecommunication experts, this is a computer programme trying to penetrate into your telephone system and tracking connections.
“You should hang-up immediately,” they advised.
