Unfortunately you are viewing this website on an outdated browser which does not support the necessary features for us to provide an adequate experience.
Please switch to a modern browser such as latest version of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari or Microsoft Edge.
Scams are common online, so it's important to know how to protect yourself against them.
Online scams trick people into giving away their personal details, financial details, or money. A scam becomes fraud when a scammer gets your personal or financial details and uses them for their own gain or receives money from you under false pretences.
Learn more about scams and fraud
If you think you've been affected by a scam or fraud, we can help.
Don’t give out too much personal information online, particularly on social media. Put privacy settings on your social media accounts and don’t add too many personal details to your profile.
If a friend asks you for money on social media, call or email them to confirm their request is legitimate — don’t pay without checking first.
Turn on 2FA for all your online accounts to add an extra layer of security.
Use two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect your accounts
Use strong, long and unique passwords on your online accounts. That way if the password for one of your accounts is leaked you’ll only need to update that one
What you need to access some online services, such as email, social media and banking.
– your other accounts will still be safe.
You can also use a
a piece of software that holds all your passwords in a secure digital 'vault'.
to help keep your accounts safe.
Don’t click on web links sent by someone you don’t know, or that seem out of character for someone you do know. If you’re not sure about something, contact the person you think might have sent it to check first.
Don’t pay invoices for any goods or services that you didn’t ask for or receive, and be wary if a company you often deal with changes their account payment details unexpectedly. If you’re unsure about an invoice, call the business directly to check the details before you pay.
Protect yourself from invoice scams
Above all, try to remember that if something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is.
If you gave out some personal or financial details:
You can also report an online issue or security incident like this to us at CERT NZ.