12:00am, 24 August 2023
TLP Rating:
Investment scam websites increasing
Investment scams are increasing, with large numbers of scam sites, and this advisory is to ensure you understand the tactics being used by the scammers and what to do if you have been scammed.
The scam websites might have been recommended to you from your search engine, from ads on social media, or even from someone you met online.
What to look for
How to tell if you're at risk
If you have taken investment advice or clicked on an ad for investing that has not come from a bank or other officially registered financial institution, you could be at risk. This includes investment opportunities from people you only know from online.
How to tell if you're affected
It isn't always easy to determine if you have fallen for these scams, but if you have invested money recently with a company that is not a well-known institution, or into a cryptocurrency scheme then you should assume you are at risk.
You can check the Financial Markets Authority page for recent warnings and alerts to see if the site you have invested in, or are considering investing in, has been warned about.
Warnings and alerts | Financial Markets Authority (fma.govt.nz) External Link
If you have been affected, immediately contact your bank using their official phone number or website.
Remember that just looking legitimate is not enough, as the scammers are very sophisticated. The fake sites sometimes have sections for you to check your investments and may even require a login before showing your balance. Unfortunately, you might not realise that you have been affected by this scam until you try to withdraw your money, or the site is no longer available.
What to do
Prevention
Doing due diligence on an investment site is important.
You can check if the business is registered and do a google search for the website and 'scam' to see what comes up.
The Financial Markets Authority has a lot more helpful information on investing responsibly.
Consumer | Financial Markets Authority (fma.govt.nz) External Link
The Financial Markets Authority can help you find an advisor.
How do I find an adviser? | Financial Markets Authority (fma.govt.nz) External Link
The Financial Markets Authority also has recent (and historic) warnings and alerts you can check before investing.
Warnings and alerts | Financial Markets Authority (fma.govt.nz) External Link
More information
If you believe you may have been caught up in one of these scams, contact your bank immediately using their official phone number or website.
Reporting the sites to CERT NZ can help us work to get them taken down. We can also pass the report to relevant agencies, such as Police and FMA to ensure a wider response.
If you require more information or further support, submit a report on our website or contact us on 0800 CERTNZ.
Report an incident to CERT NZ External Link
You can also report these directly to the FMA (Financial Markets Authority) to help them provide up to date alerts and warnings which in turn helps other New Zealanders.
Report an issue to the FMA External Link
For media enquiries, email our media desk at media@mbie.govt.nz or call the MBIE media team on 027 442 2141.