Securities Commission warns of new scam

The Securities Commission today warned about a new version of an old scam using unsolicited investment offers from overseas.

The scam uses faxes and emails to target people with offers of share deals.

The offer is meant to get victims to send money before the "services" are delivered. To prove their authenticity these "brokers" often refer people to fake regulators' websites.

These websites use .gov.us in their addresses. United States federal websites have web addresses ending with .gov whereas the scammers use .gov.us.

"If you don't know the source of an email or fax it is best to destroy or ignore it," commission director of enforcement, Norman Miller, said.

"We again warn people against taking up share offers made in unsolicited approaches from overseas."

The US National Association of Securities Dealers has published an investor alert.

- NZPA