Fraudsters pose as bank staff

CRAIG SIMCOX/Dominion Post

EFTPOS REDUNDANCIES: The company formed from the merger of eftpos technology firms Provenco Group and Cadmus Technologies is expecting to cut about 100 staff from its workforce.

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Never disclose your pin numbers to anyone.

That is the message from police after a string of incidents where, immediately after stealing an eftpos or credit card, fraudsters will imply they are from the bank and call the card owner.

Takapuna community senior constable Gavin Leonard says the fraudsters will call the card holder a number of times with a plausible story to establish a sense of trust.

On the second or third call they will ask the card holder to disclose their pin number.

"The bank would never ask for these details over the phone," Mr Leonard says.

While older people appear to be the ones targeted, Mr Leonard says everybody needs to take some responsibility to safeguard their belongings.

"It’s such a hassle when it does happen.

"The inconvenience is huge," he says.

Mr Leonard says shopkeepers should make sure their wallets are secure and people shopping in supermarkets should never leave their trolleys unattended.

When making any transactions you should ensure nobody is watching you enter your pin number, he says.

"Some people are pretty cunning. I’m sure they are pretty persuasive on the phone," he says.

If a credit card does not arrive in the mail when it is expected, let the bank know, Mr Leonard says.

To be safe, he says people should pick their cards up from the bank.

- © Fairfax NZ News