Kimbrian Van Loggerenberg felt disrespected and shocked when police wouldn’t investigate the crime he had reported because it didn’t meet the criteria for any action to be taken. Photo / Supplied
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When Kimbrian Van Loggerenberg bought a television online that never arrived he went to the police with all the information about the person who scammed him, including a name, address and bank account number.
But, instead of looking into his case he was told there would be no police investigation as the crime simply wasn’t a priority.
Sadly, it’s a story that’s being played out in many parts of the country as police struggle to keep up with the number of online scams.
A police media spokesperson told Open Justice that online fraud was running rampant in New Zealand and police needed to wait for the victims to stockpile before taking action.
“Police receive many more complaints than we can reasonably investigate,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“Police must assess each complaint against certain criteria to help prioritise offences for investigation, which includes targeting prolific offenders.
“As part of this process, police assess the available information and whether offender details, bank accounts or phone numbers are linked to other offences.”
Van Loggerenberg purchased the television on Facebook Marketplace in July.
The seller had wanted $350 for the television, plus $47 for shipping, but the Aucklander only paid $250 with the balance to be paid once it arrived. It never did.
