NZTA Relicensing spam email - it's a Phishing Scam, DO NOT CLICK ON ITS LINK
Today I received another fake email, pretending to be an NZTA vehicle relicensing reminder. It's not the first. The online scammers are out in force as usual, and little old NZ is on their radar, we are not immune and we get scams targeted directly to NZers using fake emails and fake websites to try to steal your drivers license number and bank details.
I'm an IT guy so I am always on high alert for this stuff, but these fake emails are often copied directly from real ones with a few specific changes in the hidden links, and could easily fool members of the public, especially elderly people unfamiliar with the tricks the scammers use.
I have reported the email to NZTA, and reported the source of the spam via www.spamcop.net... (a great way of fighting back against the scammers)
Please warn your family and friends to *** NEVER click on a link from inside an email *** e.g. one that says you need to log in and pay something, or claims you need to login in to read an official letter, or to confirm your details.
Even clicking the link in the email is enough to let the scammers know that your email address is valid and answered by a real person, so they will continue to spam you in future hoping to catch you out.
Instead, even if you think it is a genuine email, you are always better to manually type in the real website address (eg nzta.govt.nz) into your web browser yourself, rather than risk using a dangerous fake link from a received email (which is *almost always* a scam).
Stay Safe Everyone!
PS here's a safety hint that you or a knowledgeable friend can look at setting up in your email program - in the attached photo you'll see I have my email program set to NOT "automatically load remote images" in any emails received, and I click on a button if I want to see what the email is supposed to look like as written, with all the fancy graphics.
It also saves time by not loading the majority of the advertising graphics on mailing lists that I don't always want to read!
This step provides one more level of protection against accidentally loading doctored files from a fake website, and it helps deny the scammer an important piece of knowledge about your email address, because when embedded graphics in an email are loaded by your email program "trying to be helpful" to display it in full, it can indicate to the scammer's database that your email address is current and being used by a real person.
Share your New Zealand music memories...
It's NZ Music Month and New Zealand really has some beautiful songs from artists that we call our own.
Whether it's April Sun in Cuba, Don't Forget your Roots, or How Bizarre or Bic Runga's 'Sway' - songs have a way of unlocking memories and evoking old feelings.
In honour of NZ Music Month, share a New Zealand song or artist that is special to you and explain why.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
The Tova Show
Hello! Are you a …
- A student/young professional renting
- A young family, renting or owning
- An older New Zealander/retiree/pensioner
We’re reaching out from the Tova show, the flagship weekly politics podcast on Stuff, as we prepare for our budget coverage and how it’s affecting Kiwis - we’d love to hear from you.
We need a few people who are available the week before the budget (Wednesday 22nd/Thursday 23rd May) and on the day of the announcement (Thursday 30th May).
Please email tova@stuff.co.nz or comment below if you’d like to share your perspective with us. We give you our commitment to treat your experience with sensitivity and care.
Type NFP if you don't wish your comments to be used.
And the 2024 Prospa Local Business Hero is...
A huge congratulations to mother and son duo, Mary and Sam Danielson from The Puketapu Hotel.
The votes for all finalists have been tallied and they have been chosen by Neighbourly members across the country as the Prospa Local Business Hero of 2024.
The Puketapu Hotel was nominated by a local called Margaret and the nomination reads:
'On Feb 14, 2023, Cyclone Gabrielle flooded many of the rural areas. Puketapu Hotel went under perhaps half a meter of water. However, immediately Mary Danielson and her son, Sam Danielson, along with their loyal staff pulled it together to cook copious amounts of food that without electricity would have been wasted. Throughout the years many of us have been treated with a pub gathering where we can reconnect and a free meal. At Christmas there was Santa, games, gifts for kids, donated patchwork for adults, an ice cream truck and lots of camaraderie.
This February on the cyclone anniversary, they again pulled out the stops to give hundreds of us a special night. We are all tired of the cyclone cleanup and they understood that it was needed.'
Such a deserving business and team, well done Mary and Sam. And thank you to all those who voted!
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