Katikati woman loses thousands in cold-call bank scam

A Tahawai woman has lost thousands of dollars after being targeted by a phone scammer posing as an ANZ bank representative. The caller told her that her account had been compromised and that her remaining funds needed to be transferred to another account for safekeeping — a common tactic used by fraudsters to create urgency and panic.

After an extended phone conversation, the scammer successfully redirected her money into an overseas account. Police are reminding the community that banks will never ask customers to move funds or carry out actions on their phone or computer during an unsolicited call.

Katikati Police Sergeant Steve Hindmarsh is urging anyone who receives a suspicious call to hang up immediately and contact their bank directly using the official number on the bank's website or the back of their card. If you believe your account may have been targeted, act quickly and report it.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).