Community bankers Lisa Trist (left) and Matilda Kasek (right) teaching June (front left) and Sas (front right) how to keep their banking safe. Photo / Brodie Stone
Northland seniors are increasingly being targeted by scammers, but many are determined to fight back, by getting computer- and scam-savvy.
Attempts to scam the elderly and others have shot up since 2015. Scammers have been
busier than ever in their efforts to fleece bank customers, according to the Banking Ombudsman Scheme’s latest annual report.
Banking Ombudsman Nicola Sladden said the scheme received 535 scam complaints out of a total of 4732 in 2021-22 – an increase of 63 per cent on the previous year.
A common scam 83-year-old Whangārei woman June says she encounters is receiving a call “telling me there’s a problem with my computer”.
“I just say there’s nothing wrong and hang up on them. But I feel like I want to punish them for thinking I’m that stupid.”
June, who did not want her real name published, said when she receives emails, texts or calls that appear to be scams, it makes her feel “uneasy and damn annoyed”.
Another local woman, Sas, who does not want her full name used, agrees.
“Let’s absolutely fight back, because we may be older but we’re not stupid.”
Last the women were among a group of older people who attended ASB Bank’s “better banking” workshops in a bid to learn about how to keep their money safe, and how to fight back against scammers.
Manager for Health Promotion and…
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