Gotcha!
New Zealand Listener|July 8 - 14, 2023
Psychologist and TV presenter NIGEL LATTA writes about what he learned from diving into the world of scams for his latest series.
Gotcha!

Simon is not a good guy. He sounds like he is over the phone, with his slightly posh English accent and his relaxed and reassuring tone, but he's not. He's likely in his early 30s, from a middle-class home, I'd imagine, and he almost certainly has worked in the finance sector at some point, because he has the practised patter of someone who knows the territory pretty well.

He's telling me about interest rates for term deposits and they're pretty good. Not so good to arouse immediate suspicion but good enough to get people's attention. Good, but not obviously too good to be true.

I can imagine what he's like in his real life: arrogant, unkind, callous, but not in an immediately apparent way. He'll go out for drinks with his similarly unpleasant friends and they'll make a lot of noise and no doubt drink flashy champagne and treat the waiters badly.

He probably fancies himself as a player, but he's not. He's just a bad man who steals people's money.

Simon is obviously not his real name. He's impersonating a real person from the actual bank he claims to be from. We found scammer Simon by googling "Term deposits New Zealand", and the website he's connected to came up in the first five search results. He's likely scammed dozens of people in New Zealand in the past year.

I spoke with a woman who lost $100,000 to Simon. She's smart and she worked hard to try to verify he was legit, and still she got scammed. It was her life savings.

How much has Simon made from Kiwis alone? Probably millions. Yep, that's right: millions.

STEAL OUR STUFF

Denne historien er fra July 8 - 14, 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra July 8 - 14, 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA NEW ZEALAND LISTENERSe alt
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 mins  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024