Email Hoaxes

Do your friends a favour - stop sending hoax emails

Police are urging email users to stop and think before sending on hoax emails.

Inspector Carey Griffiths, Community Policing Manager, Police National Headquarters, encourages people to take a common sense approach when they receive strangely worded or sensationalist emails in their inbox.

"These emails are often designed to create unnecessary concern and they waste a lot of people's time," he said.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs also has information about scams, along with the Netsafe site The ORB. "Do yourself and your email inbox a favour - avoid passing on dodgy emails."

Frequently Asked Questions about hoax emails and scams
How can I tell if an email is a scam?
How do I report an internet scam?
How can I tell if an email is a hoax?

Scamwatch
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs operates a website called Scamwatch, where you can find the information on the latest hoaxes and scams doing the rounds.

Police-related email hoaxes
Eggs on windshield/ Fake baby in car seat - September 2010
The $5 bill hoax - July 2010
Car Hijacking - March 2009
Mobile Phone Scam - March 2009
Gang initiation email hoax - February 2008
"Notification from New Zealand Police" email hoax - May 2006