Scams while buying and selling online are on the rise
There has been a significant increase in the number of scams reported across Aotearoa, with scams while buying and selling goods the most commonly reported.
New Zealanders reported losing almost $2 million to online scams between July and September, according to National Cyber Security Centre’s Q3 quarterly report. Most incidents of scams and fraud happened when people were buying or selling goods online.
“Scams and Fraud is consistently among the top three categories reported to us every quarter,” National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Director Mission Enablement Michael Jagusch said. “In Q3, we saw the number of scams go up by almost 40% compared to Q2.”
“This is a worrying trend, because scams come with a cost,” he said.
“We know it’s convenient for cybercriminals to target you when you are shopping online. They may set up fake websites or put up fake advertisements on marketplaces online, and trick you into sending them money or entering your credit card details,” Jagusch said.
“With the holidays coming up, scammers will ramp up their efforts and we urge New Zealanders to ramp up the reporting as well."
Learn how to spot common shopping scams this holiday season on Own Your Online.
Read the NCSC’s Cyber Security Insights report for Q3 2024(external link)