Police are warning people to be wary of scammers purporting to be from Spark and/or OFCANZ (Organised and Financial Crime Agency) who are seeking access to victim’s computers and bank accounts.
“We’ve been made aware of a recent incident where a person received a call from someone claiming to be from Spark, saying their computer had been accessed illegally or used for criminal purposes,“ says Detective Sergeant Damian Rapira-Davies, NZ Police Cybercrime Unit.
The caller then said they were transferring the person to OFCANZ. The “OFCANZ employee” then gave the person instructions on how to allow them access to their computer and sought access to the person’s bank accounts. OFCANZ was renamed and is no longer used within Police.
This is a variation on previous scams seen by Police, where the scammers claim to be from a widely recognised organisation in order to gain the victim’s trust, Detective Sergeant Rapira-Davies says.
“Often it is older and more vulnerable members of our communities who are targeted and becoming victims of these scams. We urge people to have conversations with these people to help ensure they are aware of the tactics often used by scammers and don't become victims.”
Police’s message on scams like this is simple – do not engage with anyone on the phone if you think you are being scammed – hang up immediately and report the incident.
Government agencies will never ask for your information over the phone without stringent verification procedures, and they will never ask for your PIN number or seek to access your computer or bank accounts remotely.
If you are in doubt as to a caller's legitimacy, ask if you can call them back, or just hang up.
Grant McBeath, Channel Leader for Spark, says: “These scammers have absolutely nothing to do with Spark. They like to use our name because so many New Zealanders have a Spark account – it’s a simple numbers game, picking a company like us makes their story more plausible when you’re already with Spark.
It’s really important that people are wary and know what to look out for, as this is the best way to protect themselves.
Please remember that Spark will never contact you out of the blue and ask for your password, credit card or bank details. We will also never remotely access your computer through Team Viewer.
If you are unsure if a call is genuine, the best thing you can do is hang up.”
Information on other scams that are currently operating can be found on the Consumer Protection NZ website: https://www.consumerprotection.govt.nz/general-help/scamwatch
Consumer Protection NZ, along with Netsafe, also provides helpful advice and information about keeping safe online.
Anyone who believes they are a victim of a scam, in person or online, should immediately report it to their bank, and then to their local Police.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre