Lottery text phishing scam preying on vulnerable Kiwis

Kiwis are being warned against a new text lottery phishing scam that is targeting people during the coronavirus pandemic.

Kiwis are being warned against a new text lottery phishing scam that is targeting people during the coronavirus pandemic.

A number of New Zealanders have received a text message from a US number claiming they have won US$530,000 in the lottery.

The text reads: "You've been awarded $530,000 USD in the Freelottery Promo 2020. To claim visit www,mob-free.com. Click CLAIM, enter your Ref#: 77813 and follow the instructions."

The text has recently arrived on some New Zealanders' phones.

The fake message is usually sent to US cell phone numbers but it is now being pushed globally.

Netsafe told the Herald the best thing Kiwis can do is report the scam and delete it.

"If people receive a message related to a competition they need to be sure it relates to a competition they have previously entered. If it isn't, then delete it immediately.

"They can forward this message to the Department of Internal Affairs, and then delete it. You can do this via email to reportspam.co.nz or by texting 7726 for free."

The scam has resurfaced after first appearing more than two years ago.

It made a comeback in early 2019, while a number of global recipients received the text in December 2019.

With the use of technology set to rise during lockdown, Netsafe has urged Kiwis to help family members out and stop and think before giving information away online.

"There are two things concerning Netsafe about scams at the moment. You've got a lot of people who are now relying heavily on technology who may not have done so in the past, and who may not understand the safety and security strategies they need to adopt.

"Secondly members of the community are under a lot of stress including financial stress which creates an opportunity for scammers to exploit.

"Netsafe is encouraging people to stop and think carefully before entering their details online, or giving them to someone over the phone. It's particularly important you protect information that can be used to access your accounts, build a fake online presence or impersonate you including:

- Login details and passwords to any online account including banking, email, social media and trading sites
- Bank account and credit card details
- Address
- Phone number
- Birthdate
- Personal information linked to the security questions on your online accounts
- Driver's licence
- Passport details