BEWARE: Scammers impersonating Police taking advantage of vulnerable, older people
Police are aware of reports emerging overnight where people have received a phone call from someone claiming to be a Police officer.
The officer will claim to be from a particular department, tell you that you have been a victim of fraud or scam, and begin to try and obtain further financial information from you.
People have been directed to go to the bank and withdraw money for evidence of the scam.
This is a scam – no legitimate Police officer will ever ask you to hand over money for any reason.
Overnight we have had five instances of this being reported, people need to be vigilant.
Enquiries into reports of scams of a similar nature received last week remain ongoing.
We appreciate these scammers are convincing, but New Zealand Police will never contact you and ask you to withdraw money. New Zealand Police will also never contact people seeking their banking details, card numbers, PIN or passwords.
Older members of our community are being targeted and Police urge anyone with elderly or vulnerable relatives to make them aware this activity is a scam.
There are instances where legitimate Police officers will contact you as part of their duties.
Remember:
• Police will never ask for details about your bank cards, PIN or passwords over the phone.
• Trust your instincts.
• If something doesn't feel right, or is too good to be true, it probably is.
• If you are uncertain, ask for the officer’s details.
• Hang up, contact 105 and request the officer to contact you.
• Police aren’t in the business of offering prize money.
If you are in the unfortunate position of being a victim of a scam, please report the matter to Police.
Take the chance to upskill yourself on scam awareness, check for further information on the Netsafe website: netsafe.org.nz...
Christmas Eve busiest shopping day of the year with more than 500,000 sales
Busiest shopping day of the year
Peak time 12 noon-1 pm - 563,303 transactions
Per second peak - 167 transactions
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Number of sales beats Black Friday, but lowest Christmas Eve in six years
Christmas Eve has been the busiest shopping day of the year with 9,745 sales a minute at its peak.
Payments company Worldline says noon to 1pm saw 563,303 sales recorded on its network, down by about 7 percent on a year ago.
The company's network covers about three-quarters of the electronic terminals in operation.
Worldline did not have a dollar value for spending, but the peak number of transactions was the lowest for the past six years and well shy of the record 679,436 in 2019, before the pandemic.
Earlier this month it noted rising sales in the first three weeks of the month, but they remained 1.3 percent lower than 2024, with most parts of the country trailing the previous year's spending.
Official data from Stats NZ to the end of November showed a small rise in spending on the previous month, to 1.6 percent higher for the year.
Retail spending has been subdued as households have remained cautious because of high prices and a slow benefit from lower interest rates, and as well as concerns about the soft labour market.
However, recent surveys have shown improving consumer sentiment with ANZ bank's monthly report showing confidence at its highest level in four years.
Boxing Day is traditionally the country's favourite shopping day, but with Black Friday spending also softer this year the amount going through retailers' terminals may also be down on a year ago.
Adding a dampener to consumer spending may be the recent rises in longer term fixed mortgage rates because of higher wholesale rates.
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Poll: Is it ok to regift something that you have been given?
🎁 Holiday Gift Chat!
Do you ever regift?
What’s your take on asking for a receipt if a gift doesn’t fit?
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79.1% Yes! It's better to regift what I don't need
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20.9% No. It's the thought and effort that matters
Scam Alert: Fake information regarding December Bonuses from MSD
The Ministry of Social Development is reporting that fake information is circulating about new ‘December bonuses’ or ‘benefit increases’
If you get suspicious communication, please contact Netsafe.
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