Rotorua travel agents are warning locals not to be fooled by the latest scam of "professional looking" scratchie travel cards claiming the owner has won US$165,000 ($251,000).
The scratchies are being mailed in a plain white envelope with Malaysian stamps. Two scratchies are included inside, along with a brochure with details about the fake travel company.
The scratchies include a phone number for "winners" to call to claim their prize. The terms and conditions state winners would be required to provide further personal information for "verification purposes".
Rotorua House of Travel director Pam Turner said scams often came in waves and this latest spate had resulted in a number of people calling her team about its authenticity.
"We've had several people coming in and calling about this scam. In one day, we had six people call up asking if the promotion was legitimate."