As Valentine's Day approaches, New Zealanders looking for love online are being warned about the dangers of scammers looking to take advantage of them after recent research found that 25 percent of Kiwi adults have fallen victim to an online dating or romance scam.
Just over 1000 New Zealanders aged 18 or over were surveyed for the 2023 Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report (NCSIR), which found that 62 percent of victims suffered a financial loss, with an average loss of NZ$264.
Catfishing scams were found to be the most common at 9 percent, followed by malware and spyware scams at 8 percent, in which a scammer sends a legitimate-looking website that includes malware.
Five percent of respondents reported being victims of intimate activity scams, which is where a scammer convinces them to undress or perform a sexual act then threatens them with a recording of it.
Others reported being asked for money by an online love interest who then disappears after being paid (6 percent), along with falling victim to military romance scams (6 percent) and cryptocurrency scams (5 percent).
The research was conducted online in New Zealand by The Harris Poll on behalf of NortonLifeLock. Of the 1003 people surveyed for it in November and December, 128 were Gen Z (ages 18-25), 295 were millennials (ages 26-42) and 343 were older adults (ages 58+).
Citing the report's findings, global fintech company Wise has shared the following tips for helping New Zealanders identify a scammer:
- Keep it in the app: If you're chatting with someone on a dedicated dating app, stay there - it's the safest place to communicate. These dating apps generally have systems and safeguards in place in case something goes awry.
- Don't get personal: Never share personal information like bank account details, credit card numbers, address or even your date of birth with a potential online flame that you've never actually met.
- Don't cash out: It should be a red flag if an online love interest is asking for money that they're intentions aren't pure, but sometimes when emotions are involved it's hard to recognise. Never send money to anyone online that you haven't met and verified yourself.
- Research new romances: If you want to be sure the person you're speaking to is who they say they are, you can research them on social media. Little to no online presence can be a warning sign, as can social profiles that have only been active for a short while, or have very little content. You can also use a reverse image search on Google to see if their photos have been posted online in other locations. Fake profiles aren't always obvious, but it's a good step to follow to make sure you've done your research before getting too invested.
If you want to report a scam or have fallen victim to one, get in touch with:
