Tararua District police: Counterfeit banknotes here too

Police are warning of scams in the Tararua District.

Across the country, retailers are reporting a significant rise in the presentation of counterfeit New Zealand bank notes.

We are not immune and have experienced this locally. On occasion, members of the public receive fake notes in payment or as change and this is only discovered when they try and use them as legal tender later.

Often a subject will intentionally try and pay for items using fake notes. It is not unusual for a fake or fake notes to be slipped in with a wad of genuine notes in an attempt to disguise their use.

Be vigilant so that you do not become a victim of this type of offending as either a member of the public or in a retail capacity.

Scams

Other electronic scams continue to do the rounds as well.

We get information from people in our local community almost every week reporting attempts to defraud or actual losses to such scams.

Most commonly these appear to originate from trusted businesses and organisations including government departments such as IRD and even police.

Do not enter passwords or internet banking details into links from unsolicited emails; doing so can result in significant loss with many victims losing thousands of dollars after falling foul of such phishing scams.

If you find you have become the victim of such a scam, contact your bank immediately as this gives you the best opportunity of recovering any loss and preventing further offending.

Offences

We currently have Acting Sergeant Nic Reilly from Palmerston North leading the police staff across Pahīatua, Woodville and Eketāhuna. He is with us for three months.

Nic and his team are investigating two offences that they would like your help to solve. Firstly, a burglary to a rural Omata Rd, Pahīatua, property where two Husqvarna mowers were stolen, one a ride-on and the other a push mower. This offence took place on August 31 or September 1. The reference for this is 230901/0688.

The second offence is a suspicious fire which was reported to FENZ at 12.52pm on Saturday, September 2.

This fire was deliberately lit in a shed near the kohanga reo at the intersection of Riccarton and Tiraumea roads, Pahīatua.

Although the fire caused little damage, this is only because of the quick actions of members of the public and FENZ staff. This matter is being investigated against the reference number P055889215.

Please phone 105 and quote the relevant reference if you have information about either of these offences.