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There has been a "massive" increase in scams in the past couple of weeks, Geeks on Wheels director Cathy Empson said. "We would expect to get usually about 200 calls a month, which still seems high, but that number has doubled in the last couple of weeks." Scammers are calling … View moreThere has been a "massive" increase in scams in the past couple of weeks, Geeks on Wheels director Cathy Empson said. "We would expect to get usually about 200 calls a month, which still seems high, but that number has doubled in the last couple of weeks." Scammers are calling victims to warn them about people trying to hack their bank account. They make them believe they have transferred money into their account, and ask them to transfer the money to another overseas account to help catch the fictional hackers. In the process the scammers gain access to the victim's computer and capture their bank account password."They actually make them believe that the people at the bank could be the ones hacking them," Empson said. Scammers tell the victim's to "play it cool" at the bank so as to not raise the suspicion of the tellers."They really build their trust and they really make it sound like everything you do is going to be really helpful - 'we don't this to happen to other people, we really want your help to catch them'."A man from Dunedin is one of the most recent victims of the scam. He called Geeks on Wheels on Tuesday to tell them he had lost $70,000. Another woman from Christchurch also lost $20,000 last Friday.The money is not recoverable as it is quickly transferred to other bank accounts then put into cash bonds, Empson said. Some banks have a holding system where for a period of time they do not allow the money to be re-transferred, but victims do not usually realise in time that they have been hacked. This is partly due to the scammers warning them not to log into their bank account, because it could give the "hackers" another chance to steal from them. The victims from Dunedin and Christchurch were not elderly, but were simply "genuinely nice" people who thought they were helping to catch the hackers. "It's pretty scary, and to be preying on people who are so willing and wanting to help . . . it's just awful, really." Scammers would also call people using an area code that matches their city, so as to not raise suspicion. Empson wanted to warn people not to trust anybody who calls them. "Nobody will call you to ask you to change your password. Nobody will call you to ask you to load anything on to your computer. The bigger companies don't care if you've been hacked, they're not going to call you to tell you that." If someone received a call that sounded similar or seemed suspicious in any way, people should ask for the caller's name and department, then independently look for the number of the company and call back to see if the call was legitimate. Anyone uncertain about what was going on could call 0800 4 A GEEK (0800 424 335) for free expert advice.
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The confronting truth of what happened in our recent past is something New Zealanders have to reckon with. When the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, Māori owned more than 66 million acres of land. By 1975, almost 97 per cent had been sold or taken.
Find out more about what happened to Ngāti … View moreThe confronting truth of what happened in our recent past is something New Zealanders have to reckon with. When the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, Māori owned more than 66 million acres of land. By 1975, almost 97 per cent had been sold or taken.
Find out more about what happened to Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, where you live in Auckland, and how much the land was settled for - it may surprise.
I have a packet of astelia seeds, Silver Spear , if anyone woul like to plant them. I have plenty growing already.
They are now discussing whether to extend it to a full-day strike, as some members don't think striking from 1:30pm to 4:30pm would send a strong enough message, according to NZEI lead negotiator Liam Rutherford.
They were offered a pay rise over three years from the Ministry of Education, … View moreThey are now discussing whether to extend it to a full-day strike, as some members don't think striking from 1:30pm to 4:30pm would send a strong enough message, according to NZEI lead negotiator Liam Rutherford.
They were offered a pay rise over three years from the Ministry of Education, but votes taken at paid union meetings in June showed the majority have opted to reject it. The offered pay rise ranged from a 6.1 percent increase for the top of the pay scale, which would have made the maximum teacher's salary about $80,600, to a 14.7 percent increase to the entry salary, bringing that to $55,030. NZEI says 86 percent of teachers have been offered a pay increase of just 2.2 to 2.6 percent a year for three years. The teachers' union originally asked for a 16 percent pay rise over two years in an attempt to solve New Zealand's teacher shortage. Members also asked for more time to teach and for additional support for students with special learning needs. Under the Ministry of Education's offer teachers would be given just 12 additional minutes per week to work individually with children or to plan and mark work, according to NZEI. It also says the union's request for funding for a Special Needs Coordinator (SENCO) in every school was ignored by the Ministry. NZEI will continue negotiations with the Ministry in the coming weeks to try to reach a settlement. Louise Green, NZEI lead negotiator for principals, says school staff are very conscious of how a strike may inconvenience students and their families. "We're taking action now to avert the very real threat of larger class sizes within just a few years."
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Flagship Store now open, visit us for a unique shopping experience like no other.
Ten pedestrians are caught walking across Auckland's motorways every month – a figure road safety ca…
People with disabilities were booted out of an Auckland rehab pool to make way for babies - after a …
I am looking for people interested in learning Japanese tea ceremony. It is not only whisking matcha tea. There are lots of interesting steps to serve a bowl of tea to your guests. It also relax you. If you are interested in, please contact me.
I have listened to the call from many women who have requested that I bring this course to Central Auckland area
Starting Tuesday September 25 thru November 6 @ 6 - 8pm
Call of the Wild Woman Course will be @
The Common. 1 Faraday Street. Parnell. Auckland. thecommon.co.nz...
Call of the … View moreI have listened to the call from many women who have requested that I bring this course to Central Auckland area
Starting Tuesday September 25 thru November 6 @ 6 - 8pm
Call of the Wild Woman Course will be @
The Common. 1 Faraday Street. Parnell. Auckland. thecommon.co.nz...
Call of the Wild Woman Course
A study course of the book “Women Who Run With The Wolves.”
Have you lost your instinctual sense of direction due to society’s expectations and demands?
Would you like to connect with and reclaim your intuitive self and ignite the fire of your passions?
Are you ready to unearth the parts of you that you have lost, given away or were taken from you?
Many women know that something’s missing and sense a call toward a larger, a more fertile life but they don’t know what to do. Join us in exploring and reclaiming our creative intuitive nature as we sit in circle together and explore stories and myths on how to regain our divine feminine birth-right and empower the wild woman within that is longing to thrive.
The emphasis in this 7-week course is based on the perceptions of the female psyche, the shadow, archetypal realities and the life/death/life cycles of relationships. Women are encouraged to walk beside the stories we study to enter the depths of the underworld (subconscious mind) to retrieve and restore parts of their authentic self which are lost or lay dormant so that they may experience spiritual vitality and liberation in their soulful lives once again. Let’s contact this fundamental and ancient layer of our being, the realm of the Wild Woman.
Facilitated by Dee Petit, a Certified Abundant Life Coach, teacher of Awakening the Illuminated Heart Meditation Courses and facilitator of young and mature Woman’s Empowerment Workshops throughout Auckland. Dee was trained to work with women to assist and reclaim back their power by the famous Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés, certified Psychoanalyst, Jungian analyst, storyteller and post-trauma recovery specialist and international bestselling author of “Women Who Run With The Wolves.”
$222 investment. Limited Seats Available. Reserve your space.
Contact Dee: Mobile 022.309.2979 / Email: dee@sassyred.com
To register visit my website: www.sassyred.com...
Testimony: I closed a very important “first chapter’ last night. I feel so blessed to have attended such an amazing workshop, overflowing with such richness, support and encouragement. But most importantly, love. Love for being human, for being a woman and for life and all its flaws. I also want to express my gratitude for meeting Dee, a wonderful woman and amazing teacher. Dee, you have made me think, process and confront a lot of things. Here is to you and to you building a community of like-minded souls who are eager to learn and transform. Thank you and good luck Dee, I cannot wait to see your work manifest and touch many more lives. - Sheryl LP
Hi, I am looking forward someone who is interested in Japanese Tea Ceremony. It is not only whisking matcha tea powder. It has very interesting steps to learn how to serve the bowl of tea to the guest.
It also relax you. Please contact me if you want to know more.
Over the June 2018 quarter, 321,244 hardship assistance grants were given out, worth $88.1 million, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Social Development. That compares to 267,374 grants which were paid out for the June 2017 quarter. From just April to June this year, to add to … View moreOver the June 2018 quarter, 321,244 hardship assistance grants were given out, worth $88.1 million, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Social Development. That compares to 267,374 grants which were paid out for the June 2017 quarter. From just April to June this year, to add to struggling families' woes, petrol prices rose 3.2 per cent - rising again for Aucklanders on July 1 when the regional fuel tax of 11.5 cents per litre came into force - and food prices rose by 0.8 per cent, with fruit and vegetables rising by 3.1 per cent. Mangere resident, Angela Douglas, who is unemployed with three kids, is left with nothing when the bills come in each week.
In fact, she's in debt more than $200 per week. She says it's been extremely tough. "Sometimes with food the kids don't go to school on a Monday because we don't have lunches for them. So you wait till half past six on a Monday till you get paid." Douglas says her shopping trolley doesn't contain much, mostly 99 cent packets of pasta. "There's a lot of hotdogs, chicken when it's cheap and a $1 bread from the dairy. "We've had to suck it up some weeks and ask for food parcels which have been welcomed and great." She says it's been a bitterly cold winter. "Myself and my two sons had two mattresses in the lounge. It was warmer to cuddle up on the mattresses in the lounge." Work and Income have in the past two weeks provided proper bedding for them. But then there's the rodent issue. "We have mice everywhere but we will one day get to them." Douglas went to Mangere Budgeting Services Trust for help, and accepts it'll be some time before she gets her debts and bills in order. She is nearly $41,000 in debt to date. She's far from alone. Mangere Budgeting Services Trusts' chief executive officer Darryl Evans says he's seen a surge in families asking for food parcels. Four years ago, he says, when they first started up the food bank they were dishing out 34 food parcels a week. Now, he says, it's more than 40 a day.
"We've seen families and children. This last year, we've seen a significant growth, 43 per cent increase, in the number of pensioners asking us for food parcels. "One lady that I spoke to recently arrived here visibly upset, crying ... She made a really valid point but it's heartbreaking. She said, 'I can decide today to turn the heater on to have some warmth in my unit or I can afford to eat but I can't afford to do both." He says they're also seeing a rise in the number of pensioners being given eviction notices because they can't sustain their rentals longer term.
Evans says every time someone walks in the door, they go through what's priority to pay for week-to-week.
"Regrettably rent and food is five, six, seven, eight on the list. He says the other really sad thing they're seeing more of is a growing number of people coming to them applying for KiwiSaver hardship grants. "Just in this centre on average, we're doing 35 to 40 applications a week. "Nobody is saying we want to take out $5000 to go to Fiji for a fortnight. It's 'we're trying to sustain the tenancy, we're in arrears, we don't want to be evicted. We haven't got enough money to buy the kids' school uniforms and put them in shoes. We haven't got enough to feed ourselves, there's no kai in the cupboard." And just this week, he says a woman came in wanting to withdraw for the first time. "She has around $45,000 in KiwiSaver, so she's never had a withdrawal ... It's got to the point where her 16-year-old daughter need to have braces, that's around $6,900 and she has to take a trip to Samoa for the unveiling of her first uncle." He says they're pulling together her application now and are hopeful IRD will allow it.
"If you need a couple of thousand out of KiwiSaver because you're about to lose your home and your kids are going to be insecure in the knowledge about where they're going to sleep tonight, it makes perfect sense for you to take out your money, which you've saved, early to keep a roof over your kids' heads." In a statement, an Inland Revenue spokesperson said the proportion of people making hardship withdrawals from KiwiSaver has been fairly consistent relative to the numbers of people in the scheme over the past few years."About 0.4 per cent to 0.6 per cent of total members making a withdrawal." IRD rejected there being any spike as such this year.
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Nearly 3000 Public Service Association (PSA) workers at the IRD will strike for four hours after their employer failed to communicate with them about pay."That's not fair, and it's not right. Our members are asking for two very reasonable things: fair pay systems and a modest … View moreNearly 3000 Public Service Association (PSA) workers at the IRD will strike for four hours after their employer failed to communicate with them about pay."That's not fair, and it's not right. Our members are asking for two very reasonable things: fair pay systems and a modest across-the-board pay rise."We aren't asking for a Government handout - IR has got the money to do this," PSA national secretary Glenn Barclay said. Barclay said the decision to strike again was hard for many members of the IRD, but it was something they had to do. "PSA members are standing together because they want a fair deal and a better working life. "One in four staff is paid less than $48,000, and we have heard many stories of IR workers struggling to make ends meet, relying on the tax credits they themselves administer. IRD workers had previously gone on strike in unison with employees at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) on July 9 and July 23. In Auckland, members will take time off from 8.30am to 12.30pm, and in all other centres they will walk off the job from 9am to 1pm.
Details of stike action around NZ:
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• Whangarei: 12pm March around town
• Manukau: 11am Lunch rally at Manukau Court Square
• Takapuna: 11am Lunch rally at the square in front of Takapuna War Memorial Hall
• Penrose: 11am Lunch rally at the E tū Office
• Hamilton: 12pm placards around the block of IR building
• Te Rapa: 9am-10.30am placards at the lights on the corner of Te Rapa Straight and Garnett Ave
• Palmerston North: Rally at The Globe
• Wellington: 11am-12.30pm Q&A session at PSA House
• Christchurch: Community work at SPCA, Ronald McDonald House, Christchurch City Mission and Rannerdale War Veteran Retirement Home
• Timaru: Community work baking for Women's Refuge
• Dunedin: Community work with Presbyterian Support to help with foodbank and clearing gardens at their Manse House in Moray Place
• Members in Invercargill, Nelson, Gisborne, Napier, Greymouth and Tauranga will also walk off the job.
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An attempt by four youths to get a free early morning feed ended in a police chase through West Auck…
Just a reminder about the lecture this evening on the invasion of non-native plants. West Auckland has an infestation of non-natives. It is a $1.7 billion problem and it impacts the environment. Come and listen to Prof Phil Hulme tonight the 31st of July at 7.00 pm at the Titirangi War Memorial … View moreJust a reminder about the lecture this evening on the invasion of non-native plants. West Auckland has an infestation of non-natives. It is a $1.7 billion problem and it impacts the environment. Come and listen to Prof Phil Hulme tonight the 31st of July at 7.00 pm at the Titirangi War Memorial Hall.
Supported by the Royal Society and sponsored by the Waitakere Ranges Local Board.
See you there.
Irenee
RSNZ flier 31st July 2018 WEST-AKLD Prof Philip Hulme - Ornamental to detrimental....pdf Download View
To help with expenses, a retired West Aucklander is looking for a like-minded person to flat with.
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