STACY SQUIRES/Stuff
Westpac has issued a scam warning to customers.
Westpac is warning its customers of the need to be wary of diet scammers.
The bank told its customers online this week that scammers had been targeting people who wanted to lose weight.
“They post fake ads for weight loss supplements, techniques, or scientific-sounding tests claiming to help people lose weight.”
The bank said the ads would promise great results and often had reviews that sounded legitimate about “miracle results” or “celebrity endorsements”.
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But the bank said sometimes money would change hands and the victim would get nothing in return, or a false product. Or they might sign up for an expensive subscription that was hard to cancel.
People should be wary of weight loss of health claims that seemed too good to be true, Westpac said, and read the terms and conditions of any subscription.
NZ Parliament
Banking Ombudsman Nicola Sladden appeared before Parliament’s finance and expenditure committee to discuss bank processes and consumer protections for scams. Video first published January 2022.
People should also understand the cancellation policy and fees of any product and check online reviews.
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