NBR issues ‘delete immediately’ warning after Mike McRoberts targeted in email phishing scam

NBR Te Ao Māori editor Mike McRoberts is the latest target of an impersonation scam. Photo / Getty Images

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ

NBR Te Ao Māori editor Mike McRoberts has become the latest subject of an impersonation scam.

The business and politics news service told subscribers on Thursday that a spam email, purporting to be from McRoberts, had been sent that morning.

“Please delete this email immediately and do not click on any links or open any attachments. This email is a sophisticated phishing attempt designed to steal personal information. We want to be clear that this email did not originate from our systems. We are actively investigating the situation to determine the source of this malicious activity.

“We sincerely apologise for any alarm or inconvenience this has caused. Thank you for your understanding.”

Scam activity seems to have picked up pace in recent months.

The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) warned in mid-August that scammers using deepfake videos of people such as Fisher Funds founder Carmel Fisher were promoting free advice WhatsApp groups and encouraging victims to invest in fake online platforms.

“The WhatsApp groups connect victims with an investment ‘mentor’ or ‘coach’ who provides trading tips or recommends stocks to purchase. The groups usually include a large number of fake profiles, which all speak about their success following the mentor’s investment advice.

“The mentor will introduce and recommend an investment platform to the victim. The scammers will coach victims through the process for setting up an account and transferring funds. The scammers often request cryptocurrency payments.

“The scammers may instruct victims to install software on their devices. This is malware or remote access software which will give the scammers access to the victim’s sensitive information.

“When the victim tries to withdraw their investment, they are told they need to pay a fee before their funds can be released. Even if these fees are paid, no money is paid out.”

People who thought they had been scammed should contact their bank immediately, the FMA said.

NBR said it had nothing further to add.

– RNZ