Thursday, October 5, 2017
Kathy Forsyth
BUSINESSES are warning mobile phone users not to be caught out by a spate of texts promising them rewards if they click on a link.
Pak’n Save and ANZ bank said they had no part in the texts being circulated to cellphones urging people to click on a link to a website to win a voucher or to prevent their credit card being deactivated.
The messages are sent from the same number, 2991. One text that has been received by numerous people informs the phone owner they can win a Pak’n Save voucher if they click on a link.
The link takes the phone user to a website where they are asked numerous marketing questions.
One phone owner inadvertently clicked “yes” to a question about funeral cover and was immediately called by a person trying to sell them funeral cover.
Pak’n Save said there were a number of scams circulating that were in no way associated with the supermarket.
“If we are running a promotion or competition, it is usually mentioned in-store or on our Facebook page and/or website,” said Foodstuffs external relations manager Catherine Reiss.
She said customers could check the company’s website for tips on keeping safe online: http://www.paknsave.co.nz/news-and-events/scam-alert-keep-safe-online/
Another text warns the phone owner to login to a website as their ANZ credit card had been deactivated.
ANZ manager external communications Emma Mellow said text messages pretending to be from ANZ had been targeting customers.
“This is a phishing scheme and should be ignored.
“We do our best to educate customers on the dangers of scams, however, scammers often find new and sophisticated ways to target customers.
“Customers should call us if they are unsure whether a communication is legitimate.”