Latest scams
Investment scams: Term deposit and bond investment rates
These scams target people who've been searching for the best term deposit or other investment rates via search engines. Fraudulent comparison websites are set up purely to collect the contact details of people who are interested in making an investment or rolling off an existing term deposit soon. Known fraudulent sites include:
- ratesfinder.co.nz
- nzcomparerates.com
- comparetermdepositsnz.com
- bondratecompare.co.nz
After inputting details into a fraudulent website, the scammer will follow up with a phone call or email claiming to be from Kiwibank or another local or overseas bank. They may send fake branded documents containing information on term deposits or other investments.
Investment scams can be hard to spot but common red flags include:
- Claims of guaranteed returns or interest rates that seem too good to be true
- Lack of clear contact details
- Request forms asking for personal and investment details
Review more current investment scam alerts on the Financial Markets Authority website.
Impersonation scams: Phone calls
We’re seeing a lot of phone scams targeting customers, claiming to be from Kiwibank. These calls can come from 0800, local, private or overseas numbers and ask you for your banking login details, passwords or authentication codes.
We’ll never ask for your passwords, KeepSafe questions and answers, PIN, one-time PIN or card details over the phone. We’ll always verify your identity in other ways to ensure your personal information and accounts are kept safe.
If you're ever unsure whether a call is legitimate, ask for a name or reference number and call us back on 0800 113 355 (or +64 4 473 1133 from overseas).
Impersonation scams: Phishing & smishing
We've been seeing a notable increase in text and email phishing scams impersonating Kiwibank, NZTA, NZ Post and family members.
These texts and emails often look legitimate. They generally include a fraudulent link that will take you to a webpage or form that asks you to input personal or banking details which will be used by scammers.
Example: Kiwibank text scam
This scam appears to be sent from a 'short code' used by telcos, banks, and other legitimate organisations. More information on this scam is available on Own Your Online by CERT NZ.
Example: NZTA impersonation text scam
Example: NZ Post impersonation text scam
Example: Family impersonation scam
Impersonation scams: Financial Markets Authority (FMA)
The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) is aware of a FMA impersonator using the fake email address support@fma.international. The fake email is claiming to be able to recover money lost in a cryptocurrency investment scam. The FMA does not assist in the recovery of funds and will only send emails from addresses ending in @fma.govt.nz. If you're contacted by someone claiming to be from the FMA, we encourage you to verify who you're talking to. You can contact the FMA directly using the details listed on their official website fma.govt.nz.
What to do
- Scam text messages: If you receive a text message that you think could be a scam, copy the message and forward it to the Department of Internal Affairs reporting system on 7726 (SPAM).
- Scam emails: Forward suspicious emails to suspicious.email@kiwibank.co.nz then delete it.
- All scam types: Call us on 0800 113 355, or send us a secure message within internet banking or the mobile app.
Be alert
We'll never ask for your passwords, PINs, KeepSafe questions or card details by phone or email. If you're suspicious, stop the communication immediately and contact us on 0800 113 355.
Helpful resources
What to do if you've been scammed
Anyone can fall for a scam. If you suspect that you've been scammed, get in touch with us as soon as possible.
Get in touch
Call us on 0800 113 355 (or +64 4 473 1133 from overseas) if you think you've been scammed.
Report suspicious activity
If you think you’ve been sent an email that doesn’t look like it’s from us, forward it to suspicious.email@kiwibank.co.nz.