If you've recently received an email from Air New Zealand informing you of a credit of over $300, unfortunately it's not true. It's an email scam that's been appearing in inboxes across the country for a number of weeks, promising $392.64 in credit.
To begin with, the email could look legitimate due to the lengths the scammers have gone to to imitate Air NZ's design style.
However, there are some parts of the email that are less convincing... for example, the opening paragraph.
"Welcome to Airpoints! We're happy to have you onboard, and we think you will be too, once you booked before on our airlines will show you how easy it is to earn Airpoints Dollars and rewards with our program. Here's a quick gift to thank you for your loyality to our brand," the email says.
Air New Zealand says it is aware of an email scam currently circulating in New Zealand.
"The email may appear to be from our Airpoints™ team and contain some Airpoints Dollars™. This email is not from our Air New Zealand Airpoints™ team and should be deleted," a spokesperson for the airline said.
As well as a confusing first paragraph, the address listed at the bottom of the email is also a warning sign, Block 5, Cherry Mansions, Whampoa Garden, 852, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
The amount being credited is also odd, $392.64. However the scammers may have been hoping those who have credit with the airline may have fallen for the scam.
And lastly, the email address the email was sent from is not one that would be used by Air New Zealand.
What you should do if you receive a suspicious email purporting to be from Air New Zealand:
- Do not click on any links
- Forward the message to the Department of Internal Affairs or CERT
- Delete the message
- Visit the airline's internet scam website page for further details
- Netsafe has been contacted for comment.
