Warning: Cellphones sent in post a scam

Police are warning people of a phone scam doing the rounds. Photo / File

The case of a Hokitika resident who received an unsolicited new cellphone in the mail from south-east Asia recently serves as a warning, police said today.

The man received the phone in a parcel from Malaysia about a week ago.

Hokitika community constable Jon Armstrong, said the man who received the parcel popped into the police station last week, somewhat puzzled.

It came with his full name and address in a plain cardboard box with the phone and charger in bubble wrap.

Mr Armstrong said the phone was obviously new but a pre-smart phone model - not the latest.

The recipient was suspicious and had done some checking after hearing of scams where pre-programmed phones were sent to people.

People had been caught out after using the phones and entering their personal details - including account details and personal identification numbers - enabling someone in Malaysia to rip them off by reading all their information.

At this point the police had not yet heard of other similair incidents around Hokitika, Mr Armstrong said.

However it was the usual story: if it seemed "too good to be true", it probably was.

The phone scam sounded similar to another rort operating out of Malaysia which had been heard of on the West Coast. People were sent scratch cards with the recipients "winning" prize money. They are then asked to send their banking details in order to claim the prize.

- Greymouth Star