Scam targets Spark NZ customers

Spark New Zealand customers have been contacted by scammers and asked to hand over their personal details.

The fraudsters who claim they are from Spark tell customers their services are about to be cut off due to security issues. They then ask the customer to go online to a fake Spark site. From here, the scammers ask them to provide personal information including bank account details.

Should the customer comply, the scam artists will have access to their computer and bank account.

“These fraudsters appear to be actively monitoring our activity and copying our methods of communication, so we know it can be difficult for customers to tell the difference between genuine calls and fake ones,” says Richard Harrison, Spark’s channel operations manager.

“The most important thing to remember is that we will never ring customers out of the blue and ask them for any form of personal information - particularly bank details. We will only ask you for personal information if you call us,” he says.

Consumer Affairs have strongly advised anyone who receives a call they believe to be from Spark to hang up immediately and not engage at all. If they do enter the conversation, customers should never hand over banking information over the phone or go online to the fake webpage.

According to Consumer Affairs, it’s important to:- Never enter personal details online unless you’re sure it’s reputable- Always check website addresses and type them in yourself instead of following links- Never give out account details over the phone unless you made the call and know the number is genuine- Never use software that fills in forms for you

If you think you have been a victim of the scam, Harrison says you should contact their bank and call Spark’s scam helpline on 123.