How you can protect yourself from financial abuse

Don't rush into any financial decisions. Make sure you understand what you're getting into and consider getting independent legal advice before signing anything. If you're feeling pressured or coerced, ask to speak to bank staff alone. You can call us on 0800 11 33 55, or go into your nearest Kiwibank branch.

You should never share your account PIN or passwords with anyone - if you do you won't be protected if someone takes money from your account. If you need someone to regularly shop for you, consider opening an account with the person who is helping you out. You can transfer a set amount to this account, so they can do your shopping using their own card.

You can give someone you trust authority to operate your bank accounts on your behalf, or power of attorney. If you've already done this, and think they are misusing their access to your finances, talk to us and we can look at removing their authority.

If you're worried someone is opening your mail, you can opt to get your statements online. You need to be registered for online banking to do this. Alternatively you can change your address so that your post goes to a trusted friend or family member instead. You can change your address in internet banking, by going to Settings, then Personal details, or on your mobile app by going to Personal details. You can also call us on 0800 113 355.

If you don't want to rely on someone else to take care of your banking, consider setting up automatic payments or direct debits to pay your bills.

If you have a credit card with someone else, check if you are the primary cardholder (who is responsible for repayments) or the secondary cardholder. If there are any disputes about transactions and you're the primary cardholder, contact us to freeze the account.

Keep an eye on your accounts, investments and other assets by regularly checking your statements or internet banking to make sure there haven't been any unauthorised transactions.