More and more scammers are targeting Kiwis based here in New Zealand. We are easy pickings and Netsafe has estimated as much as $2 Billion per year is taken from us.
Other agencies report this figure as much lower but the biggest concern is that most people don’t report fraud instances so the true picture is hidden.
See the latest NZ Herald article here
So as a Kiwi business, what can you do to protect your organisation?
A key issue many Kiwi businesses face today is that they are still using payment processes and procedures that are no longer fit for purpose, and this is not discovered until it's too late and an incident happens.
Most businesses will be head down and focused on end-of-year and budgets, fraudsters know this and know you're looking the other way.
Some things to consider when updating your procedures:
- Onboard customers and check their bank accounts are legit
- Don’t verify supplier details by email or over the phone
- Fake Bank deposit forms can be easily generated
- Always make contact via the supplier's official NZ website, NOT from emails or links
- Check payroll accounts against your credit payments
This can help stop many types of internal fraud
