Fake DNA kit an 'over-priced cotton bud'

A fake DNA testing kit is a front for scammers after credit card details. Photo / Supplied

Scammers who use a fake DNA testing kit to get victims to hand over credit card details have begun targeting New Zealand letterboxes.

The scam - which has been circulating in Australia - starts with victims being sent a package containing a small DNA kit, a swab stick and a reply envelope.

An accompanying letter asks them to hand over $39.99, their credit card details and a swab of their saliva to a fake company, DNA Technologies.

It promises to calculate and predict things such as future success, physical and mental health, affluence, significant accomplishments and your "deepest sense of individual fulfilment".

The professional-looking DNA kit is from China, although the return address is in the Netherlands.

Commerce Commission Auckland enforcement manager Graham Gill today urged New Zealand residents not to be sucked in by the letterbox scam.

"It's ridiculous. They claim that through DNA testing they can reveal to you 'unprecedented information' on your health, diet, intellect, compatibility, and even how to live longer. DNA testing cannot determine these things.

"We advise anyone who receives this kit through the mail to dispose of it. It is essentially an over-priced cotton bud.

"DNA in this case should mean 'Do Not Answer'."

Because the scam originated offshore, the Commerce Commission cannot investigate it, Mr Gill said.

He said the only way to stop the scam was to get residents to ignore it.

"This is one of the more novel scams we've seen lately. They pop up frequently and enforcement action is mostly futile. The best deterrent is for people to be aware of the warning signs of a scam and not fall for it," said Mr Gill.

This week is Scam Awareness Week. Its primary message is to remind people to be on their guard for scammers.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs website gives information on identifying and reporting scams.