cappuccino

Today I attended a very interesting talk about identity theft. Just wondering if any of you guys have had any personal experience of having your identity stolen in some form or another, or know people who have fallen for those email/phone scams? Do you think it's less likely to happen in NZ than in the UK/elsewhere?

mikelincs

There will always be some idiot who replies to these scam e mails, always think that they CAN get something for nothing. Doesn't matter where you are in the world.

Bo-Jangles

I never fail to be amazed at how many people do actually fall for those e-mail scams. Going by evidence of cases seen on 60 Minutes and the likes I think NZ must be a special target and have more then its fair share of gullible, greedy or just plain stupid people that fall for these Nigerian and internet dating scams.

The latest in a long line is this fella de Melmanche who went on a once in a lifetime holiday to meet his dream woman and found himself in a wee spot of bother for attempting to deliver 1.7kg of crystal meth into Bali; hence the once in a lifetime holiday accommodation wasn't quite as he expected - locked in a small concrete cell with 27 other men, 24 hours a day, with no direct sunlight and showering with a bucket.

'I was set up,' says accused Kiwi drug smuggler - One News | TVNZ

cappuccino

Not quite ID theft, but in Wellington I had my car number plates stolen (front and back). Reported it to the police as soon as I could and they said it is becoming more common as the thieves put them on their cars (similar make/model/colour) to go through speed cameras/drive off from petrol stations without paying etc. I got new plates (different number) from VTNZ, informed my insurance company and all was good as I had a police reference number etc.

mikelincs

In the UK a good number of years ago the target was just the rear plate as garage people could only note the rear number as they drove away, a friend was taking at work about the idiots who ad stolen just the rear plate from his car, and was shocked when he was advised to report it immediately to the police, after explaining why, he did so, and found out the police were already looking for him for three counts of theft of fuel from a garage. No ANPR in those days though.

Charismatic

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By far and away the most prolific scams are the ones that are legal. Shares sold from boiler rooms to support the share price of companies, risky investments recommended by nominees during house sales (and similar)...even you humble kiwisaver may be invested in a fund that offers kickbacks and/or trailers to the bank that your funds are allocated or accumulate silly fees.
Seeing as a convicted killer can obtain a passport under a false name I see it as likely that, like so many countries, one department has no idea what's going on in another.

As for the legal scams NZ is a really light touch when it comes to financial regulation so it's much more likely than the UK and often people don't even know what steps to take to avoid them.

Stormer999

The local police in Kenilworth UK were handing out anti theft plastic number plate screws because of the fuel theft drive off's after a few plates going missing. ANPR only checks for road tax, MOT and driver insurance against the number. Plates are also stolen to beat London's congestion charges.

Stormer999

Yes I had an instance when my UK bank phoned me up to check on three transactions where my card numbers had been used but not the three digit security pin. They cancelled the card, sent me a replacement and refunded the small amounts that were taken. I was advised to replace my old 'wavy' type shredder with a safer diamond cross cut version.

Persephone

Never had any identity theft in NZ or the UK but I am very vigilant about my details and who gets access to my card.

It happened to us once in the USA on a card we rarely used, we suspect it must have been a dodgy petrol pump as that was the only thing we'd used it for. Easy to prove as we'd bought petrol 3 days running [genuine] but apparently also travelled 3,000miles to buy groceries on each of those 3 days...
We usually used cash when we lived there due to the huge amount of card fraud: mainly because it's expected to leave or hand over your card in restaurants, petrol stations etc and we got tired of refusing to let our card out of our sight!

Bo-Jangles

Here's one of the latest victims of the property rental scam that's been doing the rounds for a while. One for newbie expats to watch out for:

Warning as property firm hit by Nigerian scam - Business - NZ Herald News

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=11399206

moonie2011

Since being in NZ I have had two cards used illegally. The first was my eftpos, used in the uk ironically, and recently both mine and hubby's credit card was used in the USA to the sum of $25k!!!!! Both cards replaced etc but a real pain altering everything.
Never had it happen in the uk though

TommyLuck

My ex-boss in the UK was living in a flat in Archway.

Some fella living in the same block had the audacity to steal my ex-boss's mail periodically to build a credible identity for himself, in the guise of my ex-boss.

This chap left alone enough post over a the course of a couple of months as to not arouse suspicion that mail was going missing, but stole some of the useful mail.

Then one day the bailiff's turned up looking for money and of course my boss confirmed who he was. Indeed, he had a hard time explaining to the bailiff's that this had been a terrible mistake, he managed it though and worked with various banks and the police to piece together the issue.

By the time they realised who it was the guy who created the fraud was long going and missing without a trace. Clearly a master of this sort of thing.

Applying for a mortgage recently was a bit of a rigmarole for my ex-boss.