My first reaction was that the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) couldn't be so generous. Two tax refund notifications landed, out of the blue, in my email queue within a fortnight - one for $988 and the other for $302.
The emails demanded that I respond within 72 hours or else my
refund would be delayed and added to the waiting list. Wishful thinking by the scammer.
I was more than suspicious when the email asked for my driver's licence and credit card details.
Why would the IRD do that? They only direct credit to bank accounts, not credit cards.
The emails, entitled "NZ IRD Tax Refunds", are online phishing scams and anyone receiving them should steer clear and delete them immediately.
The scams first popped up early last year and they are doing the rounds again.
IRD says the hoax emails are sent from overseas, mainly the United States and Canada, and people receiving them should not respond - nor divulge personal information.
Phishing scams are becoming more sophisticated, convincing and professional, while some use poor English and contain spelling mistakes. "Unfortunately, some people fall for them and suffer financially," the IRD says.
The emails contain a link that directs people to a fake web page with an IRD logo. They try to get the recipient to log into a screen by clicking on the logo - in other words, the scammers are attempting to obtain account details of people visiting the site.
"Our advice is to never click on any links within a suspicious email, do not reply to the email and delete it from your inbox," says the IRD.
In the field of computer security, phishing is a fraudulent process of attempting to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity.
Phishing is typically carried out by email or instant messaging, and it often directs users to enter details at a fake website whose look and feel are almost identical to the legitimate one.
