Auckland
Elderly woman scammed into spending $6600 on gift cards in one month
The Warehouse says it's working to see what more can be done to protect customers.
Latest from Scams
Stories and analysis from The Northern Express Herald.
Identity theft 'mule' helped hijack Spark customers' phones, bank apps
One victim had more than $44,000 stolen from his personal and company accounts.
He scammed the book business for years. Is he back?
NYT: After stealing hundreds of manuscripts, he swore he'd never do it again. Is he back?
Editorial: Scammers prey on people’s hopes and dreams. Let’s be smarter than them
OPINION: The story of a man swindled out of $500,000 is heartbreaking but also familiar.
'What you can't fake': Travel agents warn of AI travel scams
Travel agents and airports cite passenger rights, make demands for the next Government.
Dunedin man loses $500,000 in 18-year romance scam
An Auckland woman admitted deceiving a Dunedin man out of $525,000 over 18 years.
Fake bank screenshots used to take vehicles from Marketplace sellers
Police say sellers should check their bank account before handing over vehicle keys.
Kiwis report 1200% increase in SMS scams in 2025
Rise in scam reporting comes off the back of the introduction of One-Click Reporting.
Kiwi scam start-up pilot saves $23.8m in consumer losses
The company worked with major banks, telcos and Trade Me.
Auckland motorists targeted by fake QR code parking meter scam
The warning follows similar scams on Wellington and Christchurch parking machines.
Man who raised thousands claiming to be dying of cancer wasn’t ill, death ruled suicide - Coroner
Doug Ruch's cancer claim drew media attention before his death in Auckland.
Duped: Landlord counts costs after house used for crime group's drug operation
The landlord says the cannabis growers trashed her house, costing her thousands.
Council pays $300k to scammers. The invoice looked genuine
'Scams are increasingly sophisticated and organisations are not immune,' the council said.
Fake parking QR codes discovered in Wellington
Police are urging city residents to be vigilant regarding the scam stickers on meters.
Bank impersonation scams surge as people duped by new disguise
Scammers are now pretending to be the very organisations we trust.
'Unethical and scummy': Pensioners alert economist Brad Olsen to deep fake scam
The AI deep fake of Olsen is promoting a fraudulent investment scheme.
Inland Revenue stops $4m in bogus claims linked to social media scheme
People face penalties or prosecution for claiming fake expenses.
At 37, she pretended to be 12. Now she’s on trial for fraud
Washington Post: Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira admits posing as a child but denies fraud.
Bank impersonation makes up 71% of Westpac business customer scam losses
One in 10 targeted businesses lost money, with average losses topping $150,000.
Westpac warns over scam Facebook complaints pages offering refunds
The pages impersonate legitimate organisations and target those who post a complaint.
Slop detector works well on text. (But on images, much less so)
New York Times: Pangram can spot AI-written text, but struggles to identify fake images.
'Risk of deception': Govt bans AI celebrity endorsements for online casinos
The Government is also warning of 'scambling' or fake gambling websites.
'Simply beyond belief': Pensioner jailed over $243k bus fare scam
The sophisticated scam involved setting up a personal Eftpos machine on the bus.
Couple lose $300 after buying lamb through Facebook butchery page
'We didn't doubt them, we just trusted them,' the duped couple said.