Don't believe glossy travel brochures promising prizes

Scam materials recieved in the mail by Levin woman Grace Field.

A glossy brochure in the letterbox with promises of travel and riches failed to fool Levin woman Grace Field, who recognised signs of a scam immediately.

Her suspicions were confirmed when she took the material, from a company called Eternal Mas Tourism based in Malaysia, to the local police station.

The professional-looking brochure described a plan by the company to invest US$5 million on a new five-star hotel and adventure theme park in an unnamed New Zealand location.

It also contained two scratch cards for a 15th anniversary promotion, one of which revealed a 'second prize' of US$200,000.

On the reverse of the card, terms and conditions described how winners were obliged to provide required information for "further verification" and that they may be obliged to submit taxes or other "mandatory charges".

The whole package arrived addressed to Mrs Field, in a regular white envelope covered in Malaysian postage stamps, with her name and address cut out and stuck on, and no return address.

Media reports show the scam has been doing the rounds for a while, with brochures from various "travel" companies arriving in Kiwi mailboxes recently.

The postage and extra effort involved in producing the materials are thought to be the result of more people becoming savvy to phone-based scams.

The scam itself lies in "winners" being told they must transfer a few thousand dollars to cover those taxes and costs alluded to on the back of the scratch cards.

The presence of a colour brochure also enhances the credibility of the offering. Furthermore, the "winnings" typically relate to a "second prize," which is designed to make victims think that as a scammer would surely try to tempt with first prize, it may be real.

The psychology of the small details is designed to help prompt victims to justify taking the process further. When victims make contact with the organisation, they are advised that the winning card was sent in error, or that they are not a client, but, because the company has a good reputation, they will honour the prize anyway.

This layer of complexity is designed to make scammed people feel grateful and less suspicious when then asked for money.

Mrs Field said she was worried other, more vulnerable people may be scammed so she took it to the police.

She said they confirmed it was a scam but couldn't do anything until someone actually had money stolen, but suggested raising local awareness about the scam.

If you suspect that yourself, or someone you know, has been the victim of a scam, contact your local police station.

Levin Police can be contacted on 06 366 0500.