NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Business / Personal Finance / KiwiSaver

Tamsyn Parker: Do you know the scammer's tricks?

Tamsyn Parker
By Tamsyn Parker
Business Editor·NZ Herald·
5 Jun, 2014 02:00 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Letters are just one way scammers can target potential victims. Photo/ Sarah Ivey.

Letters are just one way scammers can target potential victims. Photo/ Sarah Ivey.

Tamsyn Parker
Opinion by Tamsyn Parker
Tamsyn Parker has been Business Editor at the New Zealand Herald since April 2023. She was previously the Personal Finance Editor and has been with the Herald since 2007.
Learn more

We got one of those calls the other night - the one where a foreign-sounding man asks if your computer is running and says it needs to be checked for a virus.

It's a scam that has been running for years and most people are well aware of it.

My grandparents always have a chuckle when they get the call as they don't have a computer.

But every day there are people who get taken in by new scams whether it's a Facebook request from someone who appears to be your friend or lonely hearts who get tricked into handing over money through online dating.

Diana Clement's piece has some helpful tips on knowing the tricks to avoid getting caught out.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

As Clement points out one of the easiest tricks is when someone gives you something for free.

People then feel obligated to give back.

I remember being convinced by my husband to go along to a timeshare presentation where we were offered a free camera or some vouchers in exchange for just listening.

We felt guilty turning down the timeshare and taking the "free gift", even though there was no way we could have afforded to buy into the scheme.

Check out Clements's article here to arm yourself for the future.

Discover more

Opinion

Kiwisaver: Bar for accepting hardship claims high

24 Feb 04:30 PM
Opinion

KiwiSaver: Addressing our fritter nation

22 Apr 09:46 PM
Banking and finance

KiwiSaver complaints on the rise

28 Apr 08:40 PM
Opinion

Tamsyn Parker: Oh no - more KiwiSaver tinkering?

28 Apr 10:00 PM

Bewildering Budget
When finance minister Bill English announced the details of The Budget a few weeks back I'll admit I was more focused on the potential hand-outs than the overall finances of the nation.

With baby number two on the way promises of extended paid parental leave had me pricking up my ears only to be disappointed with the news that the leave extension won't kick in until next year - too late for me.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

But The Budget is very important for New Zealand and where we stand globally.

I remember a few years back when the international rating agencies were knocking on the politician's doors wanting to know if they would need to down-grade the country's credit rating due to the state of its finances.

That could have had a huge impact on many Kiwis if the cost of borrowing on the international market surged and we were forced to pay more for mortgages and other loans.

This time round it was all about the government's books being in surplus.

But understanding what that means in terms of the family budget is not that easy.

Thank goodness one reader took the plunge and asked Herald columnist Mary Holm to explain it this week.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Read her explanation on how it works here.

Super Access
Last week Helen Twose wrote about the challenges involved in Kiwis trying to transfer their KiwiSaver money to a superannuation provider in Australia.

Thanks to all those people who made suggestions on providers who might accept the money but unfortunately none have come up trumps.

As soon as we do find out who is accepting money we'll be sure to let you know.

Fortunately there was some good news this week for those who transfer their Aussie super money to New Zealand - it is possible to access it if you need to make a hardship claim.

Read about the details here in this week's KiwiSaver Q&A.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

What do you think?

Save

    Share this article

Latest from KiwiSaver

Premium
OpinionMary Holm

Mary Holm: Is there a way to pass on an inheritance without affecting benefits?

Premium
Companies

$30 billion blast-off: Why Rocket Lab just hit an all-time high

Premium
OpinionMary Holm

Mary Holm: The ways to make your cash last in retirement


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from KiwiSaver

Premium
Premium
Mary Holm: Is there a way to pass on an inheritance without affecting benefits?
Mary Holm
OpinionMary Holm

Mary Holm: Is there a way to pass on an inheritance without affecting benefits?

OPINION: Some people will be angry that your family wants to have it both ways.

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Premium
Premium
$30 billion blast-off: Why Rocket Lab just hit an all-time high
Companies

$30 billion blast-off: Why Rocket Lab just hit an all-time high

08 Jul 03:33 AM
Premium
Premium
Mary Holm: The ways to make your cash last in retirement
Mary Holm
OpinionMary Holm

Mary Holm: The ways to make your cash last in retirement

04 Jul 05:00 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP