Victim of Fraud in New Zealand? Reporting and Recovery Steps

If someone is in immediate danger: contact your local emergency service. Do not use the contact details supplied by a suspected fraudster.

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Step-by-step fraud help guide for victims in New Zealand

Fraud in New Zealand can involve bank-transfer scams, identity theft, phishing messages, fake investments, online shopping fraud, romance scams, business-email compromise, forged invoices, or fraudulent employment and visa offers. If you believe you have been defrauded, act quickly: stop communicating with the suspected fraudster, do not send additional money, contact your bank or payment provider, secure compromised accounts, preserve the evidence, and report the incident through the appropriate official service.

Fraudsters frequently make messages and documents appear to come from legitimate companies, government departments, banks, employers, police officers or professional advisers. They may copy logos, signatures, invoices, employee names, New Zealand Business Numbers and official-looking letterheads. Understanding how scammers misuse company letterhead and business identities can help you identify warning signs before sending money or personal information.

Be especially cautious when someone creates urgency, requests secrecy, threatens arrest or visa cancellation, asks you to install remote-access software, or tells you to move money to a “safe account.” New Zealand Police will not ask you to withdraw money for safekeeping. A professional-looking PDF, employment offer, certificate, invoice or company logo does not prove that the communication is genuine. Learning how secure document authentication works can help recipients distinguish genuine correspondence from forged or altered documents.

Before responding to an important request, contact the organization using a telephone number or website you independently verify. Do not rely only on the contact details contained in the message or document. Businesses can also reduce impersonation risks by adopting verifiable business communication practices that allow recipients to confirm whether correspondence is genuine.

1. Stop Further Losses

1. Stop communicating with the suspected fraudster and do not send additional money.

2. If money or banking information was involved, contact your bank, card issuer or payment provider immediately using its independently verified official telephone number. Ask it to stop transactions, secure the account and attempt to trace, freeze or recall the funds.

3. If anyone is in immediate danger, there is a threat to life or property, or a crime is happening now, call 111.

4. Report non-emergency fraud, scams and cybercrime to New Zealand Police by calling 105 or using:
https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105/fraud-scam-cyber

5. Report online security incidents to the National Cyber Security Centre:
https://www.ncsc.govt.nz/report/

6. Secure affected email, banking, social-media, RealMe, shopping and other online accounts. Change passwords from a trusted device, sign out of unknown sessions and enable two-factor authentication.

7. If remote-access or screen-sharing software was installed, disconnect the device from the internet. Do not use it for banking or sensitive activities until it has been checked and secured.

8. Preserve screenshots, emails, full email headers, telephone numbers, website addresses, advertisements, chat histories, bank records, cryptocurrency wallet addresses, receipts and suspicious documents.

9. If personal identity information was exposed, contact IDCARE for specialist identity and cyber support:
https://www.idcare.org/
Telephone: 0800 121 068

10. Do not pay anyone who unexpectedly offers to recover money or cryptocurrency. Fraud victims are frequently targeted again by recovery scammers.

2. Contact Your Bank or Payment Provider

Contact your bank, card issuer, cryptocurrency exchange or payment provider immediately through an independently verified official telephone number.

Ask the provider to:

• Stop or block pending transactions
• Attempt to trace, freeze or recall transferred funds
• Contact the receiving bank or payment provider
• Block affected cards or payment credentials
• Secure internet and mobile banking
• Remove unknown devices, beneficiaries or payees
• Investigate unauthorized transactions
• Issue a complaint or case-reference number
• Confirm the complaint in writing

Explain whether you authorized the transaction yourself after being deceived or whether it occurred without your knowledge or permission. These situations may be assessed differently.

Never disclose a banking password, card PIN, CVV, one-time security code or remote-access code. A genuine bank or police officer should not ask you to move money to a “safe account.”

Keep a record of when you discovered the fraud, when you notified the bank, who you spoke with and what action the bank said it would take.

For certain qualifying domestic scam payments made to a New Zealand bank account on or after November 30, 2025, the Code of Banking Practice may provide compensation. Eligibility requirements include:

• You are a consumer rather than a business or company.
• The payment was domestic and sent to a New Zealand bank account.
• The payment was not for goods or services purchased through a social-media or equivalent online marketplace.
• You did not use an excluded third-party payment service.
• You reported the scam to Police and your bank within the required timeframes.
• You cooperate with reasonable requests for information.

The current reporting timeframes include reporting within three months of discovering the scam and within 12 months of the last payment. Compensation is not automatic and may depend on whether reasonable care was taken.

If you are dissatisfied with your bank’s response, first use the bank’s internal complaints process. You can then contact the Banking Ombudsman Scheme:

Complaint information:
https://www.bankomb.org.nz/make-a-complaint

General complaint line:
0800 805 950

Scam complaint assistance:
0800 850 905

Email:
[email protected]

A banking complaint does not replace Police 105 or NCSC reporting.

3. Report the Fraud to Police

If anyone is in immediate danger, a crime is happening now, or there is an immediate threat to life or property, call 111.

For non-emergency fraud, scams, identity theft and cybercrime, call New Zealand Police on 105 or submit an online Fraud/Scam/Cyber report:
https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105/fraud-scam-cyber

Provide as much information as possible, including:

• Your contact information
• Date and time of the incident
• Amount of money lost
• Bank, card, payment-service or cryptocurrency details
• Names and account details used by the suspected fraudster
• Email addresses, telephone numbers and social-media accounts
• Website addresses and online advertisements
• Copies of messages, emails, documents and receipts
• Bank complaint or transaction-reference numbers

Retain the Police report or case-reference number. If you need to add documents, photographs or further information to an existing report, use:
https://105.police.govt.nz/

Do not delay reporting because you are embarrassed or because the amount appears small. Your information may be connected with reports from other victims.

If someone claiming to be a police officer asks you to withdraw, transfer or hand over money, end the communication and call 105 independently to verify the person’s identity. New Zealand Police will not ask you to withdraw money for safekeeping.

4. Report Cybercrime and Online Fraud

Report online security incidents to New Zealand’s National Cyber Security Centre:
https://www.ncsc.govt.nz/report/

The NCSC reporting tool is available to individuals, small businesses, large organizations, government agencies and operators of critical infrastructure.

Report incidents such as:

• Phishing and suspicious links
• Account or email compromise
• Malware or ransomware
• Business-email compromise
• Online payment-redirection fraud
• Unauthorized computer or network access
• Identity-information exposure
• Cryptocurrency and investment-scam websites
• Data breaches and online extortion

Before starting, collect relevant dates, screenshots, email headers, transaction information, website addresses, IP addresses or system logs where available. Do not unnecessarily alter or delete evidence.

For help using the NCSC reporting tool, call:
0800 114 115

A report to the NCSC helps with cyber-security advice, incident response and scam-site disruption. If money or identity information was stolen, also submit a Police 105 report:
https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105/fraud-scam-cyber

For free, confidential advice about scams, harmful digital communications and online safety, contact Netsafe:

Online report:
https://netsafe.org.nz/report

Telephone:
0508 NETSAFE
0508 638 723

Email:
[email protected]

Text:
Text “Netsafe” to 4282

Spam or scam text messages can be forwarded free of charge to the Department of Internal Affairs at 7726. Follow the reply instructions to provide the sender’s number or email address.

5. Protect Your Identity

If a scammer obtained identity documents, account credentials, tax information or other sensitive personal information:

1. Report the identity theft to New Zealand Police through 105:
https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105/fraud-scam-cyber

2. Contact IDCARE for specialist identity and cyber-recovery support:
https://www.idcare.org/
Telephone: 0800 121 068

3. Change passwords for affected email, banking, social-media, RealMe, shopping and government accounts. Begin with the email account used to reset other passwords.

4. Enable two-factor authentication and remove unknown devices, sessions, forwarding rules and recovery addresses.

5. Contact the organization that issued any exposed driver licence, passport, bank card or other identity document. Ask whether the document should be replaced or flagged.

6. Contact Inland Revenue directly if your IRD number, myIR account or tax information may have been compromised.

7. Review your credit reports for unfamiliar enquiries, loans, accounts, addresses or payment defaults.

8. Ask a New Zealand credit reporter to suppress or freeze your credit information if you believe you have been or are likely to become a victim of identity fraud.

9. Continue monitoring financial, telecommunications, government and online accounts. Stolen identity information may be misused weeks or months later.

10. Do not send additional identity documents to someone merely because they already know some of your personal information.

6. Protect Your Credit

New Zealand’s three principal credit-reporting companies are:

Centrix:
https://www.centrix.co.nz/my-credit-score/
Credit-file suppression:
https://www.centrix.co.nz/my-credit-score/suppress-your-credit-file/
Telephone: 0800 236 874

Equifax New Zealand:
https://www.equifax.co.nz/personal
Credit-file suppression:
https://www.equifax.co.nz/products/credit-file-suppression

Experian New Zealand:
https://www.experian.co.nz/
Free credit report:
https://www.experian.co.nz/consumer/order-credit-report
Credit-file suppression:
https://www.experian.co.nz/consumer/credit-file-suppression
Telephone: 0800 733 707

Request your credit reports and look for:

• Accounts you did not open
• Credit enquiries you did not authorize
• Defaults you do not recognize
• Incorrect names or addresses
• Loans, utilities or buy-now-pay-later accounts you did not request

If you believe you have been or are likely to become a victim of fraud, request an initial suppression or freeze of your credit information.

A credit freeze prevents credit-reporting information from being released in most circumstances, helping prevent fraudulent credit accounts from being opened in your name.

You can ask one credit reporter to forward the initial freeze request to the other New Zealand credit reporters. Confirm separately that each bureau applied the freeze.

If the risk continues, request an extension and provide supporting evidence if required, such as a Police report or data-breach notification.

A freeze may interfere with legitimate applications for loans, utilities, telecommunications services, employment checks or other services that require credit or identity verification.

7. Consumer-Protection Resources

For a problem involving an online seller, service provider, misleading advertisement, defective product, unauthorized charge or unfair business practice, first contact the business through an independently verified official channel.

Explain the problem, state the outcome you want and preserve:

• Advertisements and product descriptions
• Order confirmations and invoices
• Payment records
• Messages and emails
• Delivery and tracking information
• Screenshots of the website or offer
• The business’s response

Information about New Zealand consumer rights is available from Consumer Protection:
https://www.consumerprotection.govt.nz/

If a trader may have engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct, report the concern to the Commerce Commission:
https://www.comcom.govt.nz/report-a-concern/

Commerce Commission telephone:
0800 943 600

If you cannot resolve a consumer dispute directly with a New Zealand business, you may be able to use an industry dispute-resolution scheme or the Disputes Tribunal:
https://disputestribunal.govt.nz/

The Disputes Tribunal can hear eligible small claims valued at up to $60,000.

For unsolicited commercial email, text-message or other electronic spam, report it to the Department of Internal Affairs:
https://www.dia.govt.nz/Spam-How-to-Report-Scams

Spam or scam text messages can be forwarded to:
7726

A consumer complaint does not replace contacting your bank or making Police 105 and NCSC reports when money or identity information has been stolen.

8. Employment and Immigration Fraud

Be cautious of unexpected job offers, especially when no genuine interview took place or the sender demands payment for recruitment, equipment, background checks, training, immigration processing or a visa.

Verify a New Zealand employer independently:

• Find the organization’s official website yourself.
• Contact it using a publicly listed telephone number.
• Search the New Zealand Companies Register:
https://companies-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz/
• Search by company name, registration number or New Zealand Business Number.
• Do not assume that registration proves the person contacting you represents that organization.

Report suspected employment-law violations or migrant exploitation to Employment New Zealand:
https://gethelp.employment.govt.nz/

Employment New Zealand telephone:
0800 20 90 20

For New Zealand visa or immigration offers:

• Use only official Immigration New Zealand websites and online services.
• Official Immigration New Zealand email addresses end in immigration.govt.nz or mbie.govt.nz.
• Verify a visa through Immigration New Zealand’s Visa Verification Service.
• Verify an immigration adviser through the Immigration Advisers Authority.
• Anyone providing New Zealand immigration advice must generally be licensed or specifically exempt.
• Be suspicious of guaranteed visas, guaranteed residence or demands for payment into personal accounts.

Immigration New Zealand scam guidance:
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/work/protecting-yourself-from-immigration-scams/

Immigration Advisers Authority:
https://www.iaa.govt.nz/

Licensed adviser register:
https://iaa.ewr.govt.nz/PublicRegister/Search.aspx

Complaints about licensed or unlicensed immigration advisers:
https://www.iaa.govt.nz/about-us/make-a-complaint/

Report stolen money, fraudulent job offers and identity-document misuse to Police 105:
https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105/fraud-scam-cyber

Preserve the job advertisement, offer letter, employment agreement, email headers, adviser details, payment instructions and copies of all identity documents supplied.

Official Contacts and Telephone Numbers

Emergency police, fire or ambulance:
111

New Zealand Police – non-emergency fraud, scam and cyber reporting:
105

National Cyber Security Centre:
0800 114 115

Netsafe:
0508 NETSAFE
0508 638 723

Netsafe text service:
Text “Netsafe” to 4282

IDCARE New Zealand:
0800 121 068

Banking Ombudsman Scheme – general complaints:
0800 805 950

Banking Ombudsman Scheme – scam complaint assistance:
0800 850 905

Financial Markets Authority:
0800 434 567

Commerce Commission:
0800 943 600

Employment New Zealand:
0800 20 90 20

Citizens Advice Bureau:
0800 367 222

MoneyTalks financial helpline:
0800 345 123

Department of Internal Affairs spam and scam-text reporting:
Forward scam text messages to 7726

New Zealand Police Fraud/Scam/Cyber reporting:
https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105/fraud-scam-cyber

National Cyber Security Centre:
https://www.ncsc.govt.nz/report/

Netsafe:
https://netsafe.org.nz/report

Consumer Protection:
https://www.consumerprotection.govt.nz/general-help/scamwatch

Financial Markets Authority:
https://www.fma.govt.nz/scams/report-a-scam/

Report the Fraud

New Zealand Police – 105 Fraud, Scam and Cyber Reporting

National fraud-reporting website → Police reporting website → Cybercrime reporting website →

Official Sources

Received a suspicious business document?

Check whether a document issued through VerifiableLetter is authentic.

Verify a Suspicious Document Visit the Community Support Centre

Important: This guide provides general information and is not legal, financial or emergency advice. Confirm current instructions, eligibility requirements and reporting deadlines directly with the relevant New Zealand authority before acting. Reporting a complaint does not guarantee recovery of lost money. Never send money, disclose a security code or install remote-access software for someone who contacts you unexpectedly and claims they can recover fraud losses.