Scams have become a serious problem in recent years, so a website in New Zealand now has information in several languages to help non-English speakers.

Many organisations, including banks, travel websites, and New Zealand Post, are reporting an increase in the number of scams. For example, you may receive a text, email or phone call saying that a parcel is on its way, but you need to update information or pay by clicking on a link. The link is not safe, however. The scammers are trying to gain access to your personal information or to get money from you.

Some scams appear to target specific communities. In June there were reports of an investment scam aimed at the Chinese community in New Zealand, where contact was made on WeChat or Telegram. Police were investigating two cases where people lost millions of dollars. Also, in November last year, there were more than 400 reports of immigration scams targeting Chinese visa holders.

The Computer Emergency Response Team (or CERT) NZ website has advice about how to protect yourself online, which is now available in te reo Māori, Chinese, Korean, Hindi, Punjabi, Samoan and Tongan. The main advice is to use long, strong and unique passwords – that is, passwords with a mix of numbers, words and symbols – and to turn on two-factor authentication for your accounts – that means doing an extra step when you log in, such as entering a code which is texted to your phone.

A general piece of advice is also “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”. That means, if something sounds unbelievable or surprising, you should not believe it immediately but should stop and think. For example, if someone phones you to say you’ve won $5 million dollars, but you didn’t buy a lottery ticket, don’t believe them or give them any information.

Use this link to read the information on CERT NZ.

Edit: the CERT NZ website has been updated, and the translations are now available on a new website, Own Your Online

Vocabulary

cyber – relating to computers and the internet

scam – a dishonest way of making money, an illegal trick

scammer – someone who organises a scam lottery – a game used to raise money. People buy tickets with numbers on them, and if their numbers are picked by chance, they win money

lottery – a game used to raise money. People buy tickets with numbers on them, and if their numbers are picked by chance, they win money or prizes