Although older people are widely perceived to be more vulnerable to online scams, a new survey suggests a different reality. Photo / Herald montage, Getty Images
The mismatch of perception and reality creates much drama in life. And Visa says one such discrepancy is making Kiwis fraud and scam targets.
Easter and its high retail sales are likely to attract even more scams, and Visa is warning Kiwis are nowhere near scam-savvy enough.
Visa said a majority of people surveyed recently claimed to be “very or extremely knowledgeable” about scams and fraud.
A flurry of fraud campaigns this month have included tax season scams, bank imposter scams, and Facebook cloning scams.
The YouGov-Visa survey found 93 per cent of New Zealanders surveyed professed to be at least “somewhat” knowledgeable about online scams.
But 34 per cent admitted to having been scam victims.
“As the move to digital commerce continues, fraudsters are counting on consumers to let their guard down and to supply personal information,” Visa said after releasing survey results to the Herald.
“Scammers appear to be thriving in the gap between consumers’ awareness of the language of fraud and their actual behaviour.”
The survey of 1000 people found half the local respondents were most suspicious of requests to reset passwords, compared to 41 per cent across the Asia-Pacific region.
But 27 per cent of Kiwis said they’d struggle to resist acting on a call to action that offered a free gift or free gift card.
And nearly one-quarter would react to digital communications posing as “urgent”.
More than 70 per cent of respondents said older people were more likely to fall for common online scams, such as verifying account information, overdrawn bank account notifications, or winning a giveaway.
But less than one-third of people 55 or older in the Asia-Pacific report being scam victims, compared with 46 per cent of those aged 18-24.
“Understanding the language of fraud is increasingly essential in our digital-first world,” said Martyna Lazar, Visa’s Head of Risk in Australia, NZ and the South Pacific.
“While our new study demonstrates that Kiwi consumers are savvy when it comes to spotting signs of fraud in our emails, texts and messages, scammers have reached new heights of sophistication.”
She said the lead-up to Easter (April 7 to 10 this year) was a popular time for retail sales, so education about scams and about language used in scams was an integral part of consumer protection.
Across 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific, including Australia, 40 per cent of 15,000 people surveyed said they’d been the victim of a scam.
Pest on the spam treadmill in Facebook Marketplace saga
Gloria Sharp of Waihi said attempts to sell goods on Facebook Marketplace led to spam and creepy requests from somebody impersonating an interested buyer.
She told the Herald she listed an item online a few months ago and the scammer obtained her email, address and phone number.
She said the Facebook user then promised to pick up the item for sale but never did.
“I started getting these spam texts and emails. They said ‘you’ve got about $6000 coming to you’.”
And this week, she listed a treadmill. Immediately the spam resumed.
“One of them wanted my bank account number.”
Sharp said the scammer offered to collect the item by sending a “TNT freight” pickup.
“I didn’t give them my details. I asked for the carrier’s phone number, got a repeat of the original request, told them they were scammers and reported.
“I’ve reported him to Facebook, I’ve blocked him, and still he came on again. It’s worrying for people that aren’t aware of it.”
Sharp said it was disappointing for people who liked using the free local marketplace services Facebook offered.
“It is abominable. I really feel for those on Marketplace.”
Other online scams can involve fraudsters posing as sellers and cloning a legitimate user’s profile.
Westpac this week said anybody who suspected such fraud was perpetrated online should contact New Zealand Police and the relevant social media platform.
FOR HELP:
Cert NZ: Individuals, small businesses can report a cyber attack, get advice: www.cert.govt.nz
Financial Markets Authority: https://www.fma.govt.nz/scams/
Privacy Commissioner: Complaints about privacy breaches. 0800 803 909 or privacy.org.nz/your-rights/making-a-complaint/
ID fraud: Department of Internal Affairs advice: dia.govt.nz/Identity - Are-you-a-victim-of-identity-theft
IDCare: Backed by the Ministry of Justice and its counterpart in Australia. Assistance freezing credit records, regaining control of online identity after an ID theft: idcare.org
NZ Police: Report cybercrime online scams, online child safety issues: police.govt.nz/advice-services/cybercrime-and-internet
Dept of Internal Affairs: Report spam, banned content, child exploitation: dia.govt.nz/About-the-Digital-Safety-Group