Kiwis target for Facebook fraudsters

Internet fraudsters are using Facebook to steal bank and credit card account numbers and identities from unsuspecting Kiwis.

Fraud expert Chris Taylor said social networking sites had given criminals another way to access information and steal from people.

"Scammers will set up fake profiles with a believable look to it and add you as a friend. The information on most people's Facebook page is enough to steal an identity," he said.

Scammers also posted photos to people's profiles with a "Trojan" virus attached.

When the image was opened, the scammer was sent records of everything typed into the keyboard - including user names and passwords for internet banking.

Australian Taylor, who has 10 years' experience investigating fraud for ASB, Veda Advantage and American Express, has just published a book, Crime of the Time, to educate people about scams.

He said Kiwis were a soft touch for fraudsters, identity thieves and money launderers.

Many people did not take steps such as shredding bank statements before throwing them away.

"Dumpster diving, where people trawl through your rubbish, is an easy way to pick up personal details. They'll go into the bank with the statement and say they've lost their eftpos card. Then they can build on that and take out loans in your name."

Taylor said many scams funded terrorist groups and crime syndicates.

Veda Advantage managing director John Roberts agreed New Zealand was a top target for international fraudsters.

"They go to the weakest link, and that's New Zealand," Roberts said.

Phishing, where a spam email is sent to millions of people, was still a common and profitable way for scammers to make money.

The emails often displayed seemingly legitimate company logos and domain names, such as "anz.co.nz". "The addresses look believable but it's very easy for scammers to set up these domains," said Taylor.