2 Sep 2022

Almost half of Westpac NZ customers say they are finding it harder to identify scams, as criminals adopt increasingly sophisticated approaches to swindle their victims.

In a new survey of more than 1300 Westpac NZ customers, 87% of respondents believed they had received a scam email, text or phone call in the last six months, and 49% believed scams were becoming harder to identify.

Westpac NZ Head of Financial Crime Mark Coxhead says techniques used by scammers have become significantly more advanced in the past year. 

“There’s a notion out there that it’s only vulnerable populations, or older generations who are less ‘tech-savvy’ that fall victim to scams, but the reality is that everyone is at risk,” says Mr Coxhead.

“It’s important everyone is vigilant about unsolicited contact, whether that is a phone call out of the blue or a text message about a parcel you hadn’t ordered.”

The bank has today released an audio recording of a scammer pretending to be from the ‘Westpac Fraud Team’ when talking to a customer, to demonstrate the complexity of modern scams.

“We’re seeing scammers use personal information they have been able to gain online illegally to appear legitimate. They might be aware of your name, the end digits of your credit card number, or your approximate location and pair this with urgent requests to ‘help’ you remedy a situation,” says Mr Coxhead.

“They then call from a phone number that looks legitimate, so it can be hard for customers to know exactly who they’re talking to. The recording we’ve released uses many of these techniques.

“Fortunately, in this case another fraud detection system blocked the transaction, so the scam was unsuccessful.

“It’s not just banks being impersonated, it can be telcos, government agencies or other service providers. Recently we’ve seen scammers claiming to be from IRD and Waka Kotahi.”

Mr Coxhead says young people also agreed scams were becoming harder to spot, but were less concerned about becoming a victim which puts them at risk.

He urges customers to contact their bank immediately if they think they’ve been the target of a scam.

“We’re working around the clock to keep our customers safe, but customers can help us and themselves by staying vigilant and reporting anything that doesn’t seem right.”

More information on the latest scams and tips for keeping yourself safe can be found on our website.

 

Warning signs customers should look out for

  • Unsolicited contact from any organisation, even if they mention your personal details.
  • A sense of urgency in regard to making a payment or providing information.
  • Unusual payment methods like cryptocurrency, gift cards or overseas payments.

 

What customers should do

  • Don’t feel pressured to comply with a request urgently. Any genuine business or government agency will give you time to pay outstanding invoices, bills or fees.
  • If you get an urgent request to make a payment or provide personal information, contact the organisation using details on their official website to confirm whether the request is genuine.
  • Never share your online banking passwords.
  • Contact your bank as soon as possible if you suspect you have been scammed. Always be honest about what happened with your bank so that they can assist you and help keep your money safe.

 

Recent scams

Editor’s note: This survey was conducted on The Westpac Customer Forum from 27th July to 4th August 2022.   It was completed by 1,371 Westpac Customers, aged 25 years and over, representative of Westpac NZ customers on age, gender and region, with a margin of error of +/- 2.65% at the 95% level of confidence.

 Key survey findings: 

How concerned (if at all) are you about falling victim to a scam or being impacted by fraud?

   

Age

Gender

Total

25 to 34

35 to 54

55+

Male

Female

I am not concerned

22%

42%

23%

13%

25%

20%

I am slightly concerned

35%

35%

35%

35%

33%

36%

I am moderately concerned

29%

16%

30%

35%

29%

30%

I am extremely concerned

13%

7%

12%

17%

12%

14%

Not sure

1%

0%

1%

1%

1%

0%

 

In the last six months have you received an email, text or phone call you believe was a scam?

   

Age

Gender

Total

25 to 34

35 to 54

55+

Male

Female

Yes

87%

84%

87%

89%

89%

85%

No

9%

10%

11%

8%

7%

12%

Not sure

4%

6%

2%

3%

4%

3%

 

 

Have you or someone you know been a victim of a scam or been impacted by fraud?

Column %

 

Age

Gender

Total

25 to 34

35 to 54

55+

Male

Female

Yes

35%

30%

37%

36%

33%

37%

No

58%

56%

58%

59%

59%

57%

Not sure

7%

14%

5%

5%

9%

5%

 

Which of the following best describes your opinion of scams?

   

Age

Gender

Total

25 to 34

35 to 54

55+

Male

Female

It is becoming a lot easier to spot a scam

14%

20%

10%

14%

14%

13%

It is becoming a bit easier to spot a scam

30%

28%

32%

29%

31%

29%

It is becoming a bit harder to spot a scam

37%

34%

39%

36%

38%

35%

It is becoming a lot harder to spot a scam

12%

9%

11%

14%

10%

14%

NET Easier to spot a scam (a lot or a bit)

44%

48%

42%

43%

46%

42%

NET Harder to spot a scam (a lot or a bit)

49%

43%

50%

50%

48%

50%