Katikati Residents Warned After Bank Scam Drains Account

A Katikati resident has lost a significant sum of money after being deceived by a phone scammer posing as a bank representative. The person was tricked into providing enough personal and account details for the caller to access their funds.

Police are reminding the community never to give out bank account details or credit card numbers to anyone who contacts them out of the blue. Netsafe advises people to be especially wary of unexpected phone calls or messages that create a sense of urgency — if something feels off, hang up.

If you suspect a call might be genuine, the advice is to contact the organisation independently through its official public number rather than calling back on any number provided by the caller. The same caution applies to voicemail messages asking you to return a call.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).