Scams are getting smarter – but with these simple steps, you can stay one step ahead.
Fraud Awareness Week – a yearly call to action
Fraud Awareness Week is an annual campaign that brings together government agencies, consumer groups, and businesses to help New Zealanders stay scam safe.
Held every November, the week shines a spotlight on the latest scam tactics and empowers people to act through the simple steps: Stop. Check. Report.
Explore the toolkit, share the resources with friends and whānau, and be part of the movement to stop scams in their tracks.
Spot the signs. Stop the scam. Report it.
Whether it’s a dodgy delivery text, a fake online store, or a suspicious investment offer – we’re here to help you stay scam safe.
Stop
Take a moment to pause before clicking, sharing, or making any payments.
If something feels off, trust your instincts. If you're unsure, don’t share your money or personal information – pause and check first.
We’re asking you to:
- Take a moment before acting on unexpected messages or requests.
- Pause and assess whether the message is genuine.
- Avoid clicking, sharing, or paying until you’ve verified the source.
- Hang up the phone or ask to call back – don’t be afraid to say no.
- Avoid clicking on links or attachments from unknown sources.
- Step away and talk to someone you trust if you feel pressured.
Learn how to protect yourself from scams:
Check
It’s best to be suspicious of any contact you weren’t expecting. Check the source to make sure it’s real.
We’re asking you to:
- Be wary of email addresses that don’t match sender names, or links to strange web addresses.
- Take a step back and consider if an urgent request is what it claims to be.
- Look out for poor grammar, inconsistent references, and content – like text or ads – that seem AI-generated.
- Use search engines to look up official websites. You can then use the details or contact information on these websites to confirm whether or not something is authentic.
- Type the name of the company and 'scam warning' into your search engine.
Learn how to spot the signs of a scam:
Report
Speak up to protect others. Report scams to your bank or payment provider if you’ve lost money, or report them to an agency for investigation.
Reporting helps stop scammers and keeps your community safe.
We’re asking you to report scams – even if you’re unsure.
Think you’ve been scammed? Here’s what to do next:
Where to report different types of scams
You can report TXT or SMS scams to the Department of Internal Affairs or forward the message to 7726 for free.
Report spam(external link) – Department of Internal Affairs
Report fake online shops, phishing emails, or scams to the National Cyber Security Centre.
Report an incident - individuals or small business(external link) – National Cyber Security Centre
To report an investment or a financial scam, contact the Financial Markets Authority.
Report a scam(external link) – Financial Markets Authority
You can report phone call scams to your telecommunications service provider.
For any online scam or fraud, contact NetSafe.
Report online scam threats – like job or lottery scams – at 105.police.govt.nz.
Report online fraud, scam or cyber incidents(external link) – New Zealand Police
Tools and resources
You can use the assets in our Fraud Awareness Toolkit to help share information about fraud and scams. You may need to create a login account to access this toolkit.
Fraud Awareness Toolkit(external link) – Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Get scam alerts on Facebook with Scamwatch
Every day we are increasingly exposed to scams at home, at work and at play. One way you can protect yourself is by staying up to date with the latest scams. Follow our Scamwatch page on Facebook for all the latest scam news and updates.
