As the festive season draws near, Hibiscus Coast residents are being urged to remain cautious amid a rise in phishing scams targeting online shoppers and sellers.

Police have issued a warning about offenders posing as genuine buyers on popular platforms such as Trade Me and Facebook Marketplace.

Detective Inspector Stuart Mills, Manager Intercept and Technology Operations for the National Criminal Investigation Group, outlined how these scams typically unfold.

“The offenders urgently request to buy your product and arrange a courier pickup,” he said.

“The victim receives a fake courier website link to complete a verification process, asking for personal details like bank account numbers, passwords, and phone numbers.”

After obtaining these details, scammers gain access to victims’ bank accounts, sometimes by deceiving them into providing multi-factor authentication codes sent by their banks.

This grants the offenders the ability to withdraw funds from victims’ accounts.

To protect against these scams, Police are advising the public to take extra precautions:

• Never share personal or banking information online, especially with individuals claiming urgency.

• Be wary of courier website links sent by buyers. These are often scams designed to collect sensitive information.

• Use reporting tools on social media or trading platforms to flag suspicious accounts.

“Legitimate organisations will never ask you to verify your online banking details,” Mills added.

He encouraged anyone unsure about a request to contact their bank directly using the official phone number or by visiting a branch.

If you suspect you’ve been targeted, Police recommend acting quickly.

Contact your bank to suspend your account and report the scam to Netsafe at report.netsafe.org.nz

Incidents can also be reported to Police through 105.police.govt.nz or by calling 105.

By staying alert and following these guidelines, Coasties can avoid falling victim to these holiday scams.

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