Police officer phone scam: Warning for public after dozens targeted

Police are warning the public to remain vigilant against phone and email scams going around in which scammers are posing as police officers.

Dozens of people have been targeted by someone telling them they have been a victim of a fraud or scam. The scammer, pretending to be a police officer from a particular department, then asks for the target’s financial details.

“If you receive a call of this nature, do not hand over any personal details,” Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Bolton says.

New Zealand Police do not contact people seeking their banking details, card numbers, pin numbers or passwords.

Police also advised people their officers did not call and offer prize money.

Other advice was for people to “trust your instincts” if something seemed too good to be true. If people were uncertain they were speaking to a real policeman, they should ask for their details, hang up, phone 105 and ask for that officer to confirm.

The scam call has been made mostly to landline phones, Bolton said. An old email scam has also resurfaced.

Bolton said police would investigate the scam, however, he said most phone scams were operated overseas.

“We appreciate the vigilance of those who have contacted police so far, as this will help us to make others in the community aware,” he said.

“Scammers are opportunistic and thrive off your trust and goodwill.”

Police asked anyone who had fallen victim to a scam to report it to them. People could also get up to speed with scams on the NetSafe website.

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.