New Zealand Post Scam

Security scams are big business these days. New Zealand Post has issued a warning about a scam email alerting people they have a parcel waiting for them.

The subject line and content of the email message typically describe a parcel or package not being delivered, due to nobody being home. Recipients are then asked to click on the link to “print the package info” to take with them to claim the parcel.

It says NZ Post will keep the package for a number of days, and then you will start being charged a fee for them to keep it for every hour thereafter. Details seem to vary, some emails have differing days and differing money amounts per hour.

NZ Post are aware of the scam email. “This is a phishing email designed to gather personal information from customers. Our advice to anyone who receives this email is to delete it, and not to click on the link contained in the email.”

General tips for recognising this and other scam emails:

• If you weren’t expecting a parcel, then that should make you wary
• It is very rare anyone will ever ask you to enter personal details into a website and if you are asked, you should check and investigate further before doing so.
• Never go to an important website using a link, such as your bank. Instead manually browse to the address of the website by yourself.
• Banks will never ask for pin numbers or passwords
• Never send personal sensitive information or credit card numbers via email.
• If you think an email seems like a scam, then it probably is! Never click a link in it.
• Look for spelling and grammar mistakes
• If in doubt, pick up the phone and call the company using the number you find yourself. Don’t call any numbers listed in the email you have received.