KEY POINTS:
Don't be fooled into thinking there's a cunning way to get police to come to your aid if you are ever forced to withdraw money from an ATM machine.
Internet users are receiving bogus emails that promise banking customers just that - a false sense of security.
The bogus email claims if a robber or kidnapper ever forces you to withdraw money from an ATM machine, police will automatically come to your aid if you enter your pin number in backwards.
However Auckland police have confirmed that the email is a complete fabrication. "It is too far fetched to be believable," a police source said.
The bogus emails have found their way into Work and Income contact centres in Auckland and Hamilton, and the Crime Prevention Unit based in Wellington.
It is not known to what extent the emails have spread but a number of Work and Income staff receiving the email believed the information to be true and forwarded the email.
One of the reasons people believe the email is because a senior staff member for the Crime Prevention Unit received and forwarded it on.
Kelvin Ratnam, senior policy advisor for the CPU said: "Unfortunately when someone else forwarded the message on they must have deleted the history below it leaving my name as the last recipient."
He advises that if you have received the email to go the urban legends website www.snopes.com which explains the origin of how it all began back in September 2006.
Craig Howie, ANZ bank media spokesman said: "We strongly suggest that customers ignore these kind of emails and delete them."
He also said ANZ provide a number of tips for customers about protecting their security. These can be found on the bank's website .
