Scam alert: Shopping online

We're aware that fraudsters are impersonating New Zealand retailers on social media by setting up accounts that look identical to the retailer's legitimate account. On these accounts they may run fake competitions or giveaways to get your attention, aiming to get you to submit your personal or financial information. While social media platforms work to remove scam accounts, it's difficult to catch all of them.

Stay savvy on social media with these tips:

• Be wary of retailers who send you friend or follow requests out of the blue
• If it's a well-known retailer, they should have a blue tick next to their name; this means their account has been authenticated as legitimate
• Look at their post history. A brand new account with few followers or little posts can be a sign of a fake account
• If you're unsure, Google the company's website and contact them that way
• If you're aware of a scam account, unfollow the account and report it immediately to the social platform so they can disable it.

If you've inadvertently provided your details, please call us immediately on 0800 269 296 (+64 4 470 3142 from overseas).