Detective Richard Briscoe

The following information is provided by Detective Richard Briscoe, NZ Police, High Tech Crime Group Wellington after the talk on 17 May 2021.

​Advice regarding online shopping

There are many ways to shop online, including: websites, smartphone applications, emails, messaging, social media, online auctions sites or daily deal and group buying websites. Generally, when you buy products or services online, they are covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act or the Fair Trading Act. However, if the seller is based offshore, it is difficult to enforce NZ’s consumer protection laws and NZ Police have limited ability to conduct a criminal investigation. Consumer Protection advice can be found at https://www.consumerprotection.govt.nz/

​Potential risks when buying through an unproven website may include any of the following:

• The seller is not in possession of the item and after receiving money will no longer respond or their account will disappear.

• The seller is not the owner of the item and the item is stolen.

• The seller does not hold stock and therefore cannot guarantee availability and/or delivery of the item from their supplier.

• The item received differs from what was represented or is of less quality than advertised.

• The item is counterfeit and infringes upon third party's copyright, patent, trademark or other proprietary or intellectual property rights.

• The item is dangerous, hazardous or subject to a recall by a government or manufacturer.

Below is some advice about checking the legitimacy on an online shopping site to help prevent you falling victim in future. Checking the age of a website with a ‘whois’ lookup can also be helpful – often these scammers operate under one brand/name for a short time to scam as many customers as possible before shutting down and re-launching with a new name and site. Pay attention to the ‘Research’ section, particularly looking for positive/negative reviews from a bone fide source - i.e. on an established review site that is not related to the same site you’re considering a purchase from.

ONLINE SHOPPING ADVICE

It is challenging to identify if an online shopping site is legitimate compared to those that are scams as websites can be easily setup using a custom template that make them appear professional and authentic in appearance. There are many signs to look for to help make an informed decision on whether the business is legitimate or even resides in NZ, especially when considering if you are covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act and Fair Trading Act if the product is misrepresented, faulty, or damaged and you want a replacement or refund.

AWARENESS

Be aware that just because the website is a .NZ, quotes are in NZ dollars (NZD), and states that it is secure then this doesn’t mean it should have a higher level of trust as anyone around the world can register a NZ website and NZ telephone number to seem like they are situated within New Zealand. Don’t trust websites just because they show the logo or original photos of a reputable brand as this doesn't necessarily mean the product they are selling is genuine.

RESEARCH

Research any online shopping site that you have never bought from to lower the risk of becoming a victim of online fraud by conducting the following queries below.

Compare prices of items with other online websites and if the prices seems a lot cheaper then be suspicious as the goods may be counterfeit (cheap replicas) and may also be different to the photos shown

Search online for any reviews of the website, also be suspicious if there are no reviews or comments as the website may be new that no one has yet given feedback. Be aware that scammers can pack review sites with fake positive reviews

Look at the contact information on the website to see if the business publishes their full details including a physical address, telephone number and various email addresses for sales and support and be suspicious if there is not. Search on Google and Google Maps street view to see where that address comes bac to and what it looks like

Look to see if the website has clearly stated their shipping options, customer disputes, refunds or return policy

Online advertising and customer engagement is key to a business now-a-days therefore look to see if the business has any social media profiles and when the last post was made and be suspicious if none exist

Look up the a NZ domain name at dnc.org.nz and any other at whois.icann.org or centralops.net/co and determine the:

• Age - if it has existed less than a year then be suspicious

• Owner - if details are withheld or are fake when further searched then be suspicious

If the website indicates that it is a NZ business then you can look it up to see if it is registered with the NZ Companies Office at companies-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz or business.govt.nz/onecheck

Email the website querying their shipping and return policy before making a purchase to see if and what kind of response you get

CONSIDERATION

If several of these queries result in being suspicious then it is of higher risk and it is recommended that you reconsider buying any items from this website. There is the possibility that the business may not be based in NZ, sell product different to what is advertised or knowingly ship the wrong item but provide a valid tracking number, have no returns policy, overcharge, and/or be unresponsive to any forms of communication.

​PROTECTION

If you are purchasing items online then take steps to protect your personal information and financial position via such methods as:

Use a disposable address service or register a new email address as this will have less impact if it is added to spam lists or the password is guessed and your email accessed

Use a credit card to buy online as this provides a method to challenge the transaction if there is a financial anomaly which can lead to a dispute and the possibly of being reversed

Ensure the website uses encryption to secure your personal and financial information when you submit any of your information so look for https:// or the padlock on your web browser.

Further protection in relation to identifying high risk or faulty products is to search for any manufacturer recalls which can be done at the following websites:

https://www.recalls.govt.nz

https://www.productsafety.gov.au/recalls/browse-all-recalls

https://www.cpsc.gov/recalls

https://www.tradingstandards.uk/consumers/product-recalls

https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/consumers_safety/safety_products/rapex/alerts/?event=main.listNotifications&lng=en

REACTIVE

If you do buy from a website and later suspect it may not be reputable then check your credit card for double billing or being over charged (more than what was advertised). Additionally look for the transaction currency charged to help identify the location of the business and merchant name to help determine their reputation when searched online. Notify your bank of the transaction you want to dispute providing advising of the financial anomaly. If you are also concerned about the risks of your personal information submitted on an order form then advice and support on identity theft can be obtained from idcare.org and dia.govt.nz/Identity---What-is-identity-theft

Advice regarding investment websites

The information above regarding online shopping sites can be applied to investment sites as well.

The New Zealand Financial Management Authority (FMA) has information regarding investment (fma.govt.nz/investors/investment-understanding-the-basics) and investment scams (fma.govt.nz/investors/scams). The FMA also have a list of the scam companies (fma.govt.nz/news-and-resources/warnings-and-alerts) that have been reported to them.

Fake celebrity endorsements are becoming increasing common and can be very convincing. Sadly, the ‘celebrity’ involved knows nothing about the ‘endorsement’ until it too late.

fraudwatchinternational.com/all/expert-explanation-fake-celebrity-endorsements-they-arent-who-they-seem

There is no regulatory or governing body overseeing cryptocurrency and scammers use these digital currencies because of the anonymity afforded. Cryptocurrency public addresses are, by their nature, anonymous, and there is no governing body to appeal to.

cert.govt.nz/individuals/guides/cryptocurrency-security

mychargeback.com/cryptocurrency-investments

Advice regarding romance scams

Below is a link to the Netsafe NZ website that contains information about romance scams:

www.netsafe.org.nz/romance-scams

You may wish to consider also making a report to Netsafe NZ. They can provide advice and support to people who have lost money in a scam, or think they are about to.

You should also be aware that these types of scammers will often contact the victim again, both as the romance persona wanting to pay the victim back or in the guise of an organisation that can assist in recovering the money lost by the victim. In such cases they are attempting to con the victims out of more money.

Where to get help

Netsafe

Helps New Zealanders stay safe online, with expertise in online bullying, harassment and abuse under the Harmful Digital Communications Act and all types of scams.

www.netsafe.org.nz

​CERT NZ

Supports individuals and organisations affected by online incidents, such as online scams or cyber security incidents. Helps people recognise and avoid online scams and fraud.

0800 CERT NZ (0800 2378 69)

www.cert.govt.nz

The Commerce Commission

Enforces the Fair Trading Act, which prohibits misleading conduct and unfair selling practices by those 'in trade' in New Zealand.

https://comcom.govt.nz/consumers

​Department of Internal Affairs

Regulates the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007, which prohibits the sending of spam.

info@antispam.govt.nz

www.dia.govt.nz/spam

​Financial Markets Authority

Takes investment scam reports. Provides a warnings list and information on how to avoid scams.

0800 434 566

www.fma.govt.nz

​Banking Ombudsman

Helps resolve and prevent banking problems, including scam-related issues.

0800 805 950

help@bankomb.org.nz

​Commission for Financial Capacity

Support and education for helping kiwis get savvy on scams.

(09) 356 0052

office@cffc.org.nz

https://cffc.govt.nz/

​Victim Support

24/7 support, information, and advice for victims of crime.

0800 842 846

https://victimsupport.org.nz

​NZ Police

Liaises with overseas agencies. Prevents, investigates and prosecutes crime within our communities.

In an emergency, call 111. In a non-emergency, call 105 or report via 105 (www.police.govt.nz/105info)

www.police.govt.nz

​Serious Fraud Office

Investigates and prosecutes serious financial crime, including bribery and corruption.

https://sfo.govt.nz/

​Prepared by:

Richard BRISCOE

Detective RBBI07

Cybercrime Investigator – High Tech Crime Group – Wellington

New Zealand Police