Kiwis targeted with an average 88 scam attempts in past year

Detailed summary

Each New Zealander was targeted by an average of 88 scam attempts in the past year, with more than half a billion dollars lost, according to new research. The 2026 State of Scams…

Each New Zealander was targeted by an average of 88 scam attempts in the past year, with more than half a billion dollars lost, according to new research.

The 2026 State of Scams Report, conducted by Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) in partnership with Netsafe, revealed that 83% of adults encountered at least one scam in the past year.

The report estimates that Kiwis lost $503.5 million to scams in the past year, with an average loss of $1623 per victim.

Netsafe chief executive Brent Carey said the findings reinforce that scam prevention cannot rest solely with consumers.

“People should be able to look for work, buy something online or respond to a message from their bank without having to become experts in deception.

“The frequency of scam encounters in New Zealand makes protection a responsibility for every organisation involved in those everyday activities.”

The report found email remains the most common way scammers reach New Zealanders (59%), followed by text messages (44%) and phone calls (27%).

Almost three-quarters of adults (73%) said they are confident they can recognise a scam, however, 44% of those who encountered a scam went on to interact with it.

Of those who interacted with a scam, 23% lost money or had personal information used to steal money.

Opening of the article, excerpted from NZ Herald Business. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.