Avoiding the 'Merry ripoff'

BY JONATHON HOWE

The 12 Crimes of Christmas campaign will see a crime prevention or safety message issued by Central District every day, starting today.

Palmerston North mum Tracy Tiffen knows firsthand the impact of internet crime.

Mrs Tiffen lost $750 when she was duped by a scammer who said he wanted to buy her 19-year-old son's Toyota Soarer on the Trade and Exchange website in September.

The scammer tricked Mrs Tiffen into sending money to his "shipping company" by sending her fake emails from the PayPal website.

The theft left her out of pocket, embarrassed and scared to use the internet.

But she said the biggest blow was not being able to give her two younger children, aged 13 and 3, the Christmas they deserved.

Coming into the Christmas season, police are urging residents in Manawatu, Tararua and Horowhenua not to become victims of internet and identity fraud when they purchase gifts online.

Mrs Tiffen, a meter reader, said becoming a scam victim had been a huge learning curve.

"I now keep my internet shopping to a minimum and I always keep an eye out for where the people live."

Most internet crime – such as spam emails, credit card fraud, fake websites, identity theft and postal scams – was committed by people in other countries, making it difficult to police.

Palmerston North Detective Sergeant Gary Milligan said people should always be cautious when giving out their personal and account details online.

"These scams seem to crop up from time to time," Mr Milligan said.

"I always take the stance that if it looks too good to be true, then it probably is."

Mr Milligan often took phone calls from people asking what to do when they received spam emails, and his advice was simple.

"Just don't reply and delete them straight away."

Phishing, where criminals masquerade as trustworthy organisations to obtain sensitive information, was another area of concern.

"If you are not expecting it and it is asking for personal data or bank account details, it is probably a scam," Mr Milligan said.

Other popular email and letter scams included bogus pleas for money to help out with a medical emergency, and letters suggesting you are a winner and can claim a cash prize by providing personal information or fees. All should be ignored, he said.

CODE AND CARD SAFETY

Tips to avoid internet and identity crime:

Shred all documents containing personal information, especially bank and credit card statements, and old bills.

Make sure you have password access codes on computers that are changed regularly, and are not easily figured out.

Be careful who you give personal information to over the phone or on the internet.

Only carry cards and ID that you actually need with you in your wallets and purses.

Keep track of transactions and regularly check statements to make sure there are no anomalies or unauthorised transactions.

Destroy old cards and sign new ones as soon as you receive them.

Never give your PIN to anyone and make sure no-one can see you entering it.

- © Fairfax NZ News