scams Archives | Edmonds Judd

Avoiding scams

July 17, 2024

Tips to protect yourself

Every year thousands of people fall victim to scams through emails, phone calls and text messages. Scams are fraudulent schemes designed to deceive you and steal your money or personal information.

The danger of scams lies in their ability to look and sound genuine – at least until it’s too late. Scammers are becoming more cunning, often using technology and psychological manipulation to trick you. Fortunately, there are a few easy steps that can help you.

Phone scams

Scammers often try calling and pretending to be from your bank. They usually create a sense of urgency, claiming there are issues with your bank account such as unusual account activity or overdue fees; scammers will make you think that the matter needs immediate attention.

To spot a phone scam, be wary of unexpected calls that ask for personal information such as your account details or your passwords. Most organisations do not request sensitive information over the phone. An easy way to verify if the call is genuine is to hang up and call back using the official number.

Text message scams

Text scams are when you receive messages designed to trick you into providing personal information or clicking on malicious links. These messages might say they’re from your bank, a courier company or even your insurer. They often contain urgent requests to verify your account, claim a prize or resolve a problem.

To protect yourself from text scams, never click links or respond to messages from unknown numbers. If you receive a message claiming to be from an organisation, call them directly and check.

Email scams

Email scams, or ‘phishing’ emails, are a common way scammers try to steal personal information. These emails, similar to texts, appear to be from your bank, a courier or even a shop. Like many scams, they are often ‘urgent’ and ask you to update your account information, reset your password or review suspicious activity.

Don’t click on links or download attachments from unknown or suspicious emails, especially if you’ve never heard from them before. Organisations will never ask (or should not ask) for sensitive information by email.

Key points

We are exposed to scams more and more in today’s world. To keep yourself safe:

Be suspicious – who is contacting you and why?
Don’t trust any unexpected contact
Resist the urge to act immediately, despite what the message says
Never open attachments or links if you’re not sure where they’ve come from, and
Trust your instinct! If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.

Staying vigilant and informed is crucial in protecting yourself from scams.

If you think you’ve received a text or email that you think is a scam, you can report it to the Department of Internal Affairs, following the instructions on its website (www.dia.govt.nz).

DISCLAIMER: All the information published in Fineprint is true and accurate to the best of the authors’ knowledge. It should not be a substitute for legal advice. No liability is assumed by the authors or publisher for losses suffered by any person or organisation relying directly or indirectly on this newsletter. Views expressed are those of individual authors, and do not necessarily reflect the view of Edmonds Judd. Articles appearing in Fineprint may be reproduced with prior approval from the editor and credit given to the source.
Copyright, NZ LAW Limited, 2022. Editor: Adrienne Olsen. E-mail: [email protected]. Ph: 029 286 3650

Postscript

August 4, 2022

Amanda Leahy

First Job, Your Own Business

Fair Pay Agreements Bill

The Fair Pay Agreements Bill was introduced earlier this year; it proposes a framework for collective bargaining of fair pay agreements. The Select Committee is working its way through submissions and will report back to the House in early October.

The government believes the current situation of an employer and employee being free to negotiate the terms of employment without being subject to fair pay obligations (provided employment law minimum entitlements are met) marginalises some employees. The draft legislation would introduce a regime where an agreement is established across an entire industry or occupation for mandatory minimum employment terms (such as wages or hours of work).

It is fair to say, no pun intended, that the proposed legislation has not been met with open arms by employers. Unions, however, have greeted the provisions in this Bill much more positively. We will let you know the status of this legislation in the next edition of Fineprint.

Scams: be vigilant

Scams affect us all – in our bank accounts, credit cards, over the phone, social media, via email or simply being sent a ‘strange’ communication offering you some ‘benefit.’

If you are contacted unexpectedly – always hesitate and consider that a communication from someone you don’t know could be a scam. Never, ever click on a link that you don’t know. Keep an eye on your credit card statement; unsavoury characters can hack your credit card details and ‘phish’ your money in the blink of an eye.

For help and information on scams, go to www.consumerprotection.govt.nz and click on the Scamwatch button. Netsafe New Zealand is also very helpful, go to www.netsafe.org.nz.

New whistleblowing legislation now in force

The new Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022 came into force on 1 July.

The government says this new legislation provides clearer protection for people to speak up about wrongdoing, while protecting the whistleblowers themselves. It ensures confidentiality around who has made the disclosure, immunity from disciplinary action for making the disclosure and protection from retaliation through the Employment Relations Act 2000 and the Human Rights Act 1993.

If your business hasn’t already done so, we recommend you urgently review your whistleblowing policies and procedures so they comply with this new legislation. If you would like some help with this, please be in touch.