Beware telephone survey scam

The New Zealand Bankers Association is urging New Zealanders to be on guard against a telephone bank satisfaction survey scam.

Scammers appear to be phoning people saying they are from the New Zealand Banking Association and they are undertaking a survey on bank satisfaction.

The New Zealand Bankers Association is not undertaking a bank satisfaction survey, said New Zealand Bankers Association Chief Executive Sarah Mehrtens.

It is not clear at this stage where the scammers are going with their line of questions but this bank satisfaction survey looks very much like a scam.

People are reminded to safeguard information relating to their bank accounts, and never to disclose their PIN numbers or account passwords to anyone. I would like to emphasise that the New Zealand Bankers Association, and its member banks, will never ask a customer to disclose their PIN number or account password.

The New Zealand Bankers Association has recently received a small number of reports from people who have been phoned. We are grateful for the public’s vigilance and are not aware of anyone having been taken in by the scam at this stage, said Mehrtens.

We are not aware of an organisation called the New Zealand Banking Association, but the name is very similar to that of the New Zealand Bankers Association.

If the caller appears to have your bank account or credit card details, do not provide them with any information, and contact your bank or credit card provider immediately, said Mehrtens.

If you think you have been scammed, you can report the incident to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Scamwatch website at https://www.consumeraffairs.govt.nz/report_scam.

ENDS

For further information please contact Philip van Dyk, Communications Director, on 04 802 3354 or 021 242 0428.