Dunedin's Investigation Support Unit was seeing more people falling victim to scams and other fraud, particularly on Facebook Marketplace. Photo: 123RF
Police are warning of increasing scammer activity online ahead of the festive season.
Dunedin's Investigation Support Unit was seeing more people falling victim to scams and other fraud, particularly on Facebook Marketplace, police said.
Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Blair Dalton said the golden rule with Facebook Marketplace was: "if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is."
There were several other more specific ways to avoid scams and stay safe on the platform.
"A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller's Facebook profile was created," Dalton said.
"If it's very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item."
Another thing to check for was whether the person's profile name and bank number matched, he said.
"We're seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that's a huge red flag.
"When you're selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made.
"Quite frankly, it's best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person."
Ideally, that meeting would happen in a public place with live CCTV, Dalton said.
He also recommend people took their due diligence, especially with more expensive items
"If you're buying a car on Marketplace, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it's stolen or if there's money owed on it."
Bank scams
Beyond Facebook Marketplace schemes, the Investigation Support Unit was also seeing a rise in text messages, phone calls, and emails being sent from scammers pretending to be from people's banks.
"Key things to remember are that a bank will never contact you asking for your login information.
Banks also never asked people to withdraw cash, or to take their card anywhere for collection, Dalton said.
"If you're suspicious, reach out to your bank immediately and report what has happened."
Suspicious activity could also be reported to police on their 105 line.
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