Beware of Online Scammers!

April 2, 2014 10:53 pm

Police are worried about elderly people being scammed online. Older rural people may be particularly vulnerable as they may not have the same opportunities to socialise and may connect with people via the internet instead.

So a new video on this type of crime and how to prevent it happening to you or someone you know has been produced by the police.

Police tell us the sums of money leaving the country are in the millions – BNZ has a full time person tracking all funds leaving the country. If there is a concern they notify the police who visit the person and show them they are being scammed. This sometimes takes some persuasion.

It’s something to be aware of and to remind any elderly people you know to avoid responding to any emails from addresses that are unfamiliar, in particular seeking friendship, romance, your credit card details or the opportunity to make a lot of money.