Getting Scam Savvy with Bank of New Zealand

Learn how to stay safer online
You’ve heard the nightmares – countless stories of those over 50 who’ve been scammed of their entire life savings. You’ve told yourself you’ll never be one of those people. But the reality? According to Research NZ, 72% of New Zealanders have been the target of scams. Last year NetSafe reported a whopping $33 million was lost to scammers – and the scams are only getting more sophisticated.

Losing money is painful, but being scammed has other impacts too – it can damage your confidence and relationships, and erode your feelings of safety and privacy. We know that the fear of getting scammed can keep people offline altogether, which means they’re missing out on all the internet’s practical and emotional benefits.

Bank of New Zealand’s (BNZ) Scam Savvy website
BNZ has been working with New Zealanders for years to help improve their financial wellbeing. They recognise that scams are a very real and growing problem – so they’re doing all they can to help get New Zealanders Scam Savvy.

BNZ have created a bunch of scam awareness tools for their Scam Savvy website as part of BNZ Great Things, an initiative which focuses on improving financial wellbeing through community support, tools and partnerships. The scam awareness tools are designed to help you stay safer online – you’ll hear about the latest reported scams, and practise identifying when you’re being scammed online and on your mobile.

Sam the Scammer
Spotting a scam is harder than it may seem at first. Gone are the days when scams were relatively obvious – “Congratulations, you’ve won a free trip as part of a competition you never entered.” These days, people are losing money through everyday, routine tasks like buying tickets to a concert, updating a subscription or donating to charity. This is where Sam the Scammer comes in. Follow Sam through the Scam Savvy Intro quiz to discover what a scam looks like, and what to do when you find one. For example, you’ve just been sent an email from your GP, with the offer of a free health check. It seems legitimate, but should you click the link to book your appointment? You choose from a list of three options and then get to see whether you chose right or not.

Other Scam Savvy tools
While you’re on the site, check out what else Scam Savvy has to offer.
Scam Savvy Trending helps you keep an eye on scam trends.  You can also report scams that you come across, so you can help more New Zealanders stay safer online. And then there’s Scam Savvy Mobile, which lets you practice identifying the signs of mobile scams. The quiz helps you learn about the tactics scammers commonly use so you can feel more confident online.

No one is immune
The main thing to remember is, every New Zealander is vulnerable to scams – whether it be by email, phone call, text or online. Regardless of age, gender or where you live –no one is immune! The best thing you can do is educate yourself, so you can stay safer and be more confident online.

Take the quiz – challenge yourself to take on Sam the Scammer.