Are you a victim?
If something has happened to make you think you have been the victim of identity theft, the important thing is to act fast to minimise the impact it will have on you.
Lost or stolen documents
| What has happened: | What you need to do: |
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Your EFTPOS or credit card have been lost or stolen |
It is important to contact your bank immediately if your cards or cheque book are lost or stolen. If you fail to notify the bank immediately, they may not be able to reimburse you for any losses that may occur. Once reported lost, your cards are likely to be cancelled and reissued to you. Contact: Your bank, Police |
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You have lost your New Zealand Passport or believe the passport information has been compromised Or You believe your passport is being misused or you suspect someone has obtained a New Zealand Passport in your name |
It is important to contact Internal Affairs - Passports as soon as possible to report a lost or stolen passport. If you are applying for a new passport you can report the loss as part of the application. If you do not want to replace your passport immediately, you can report the loss online or by phone. If you have evidence of your information being fraudulently used by another person, you should report this to the Police. Contact: DIA, Police Further information: Passports – Lost, stolen or damaged passport |
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You have lost your Non-NZ Passport or believe it is being misused Or You suspect someone has obtained a Non-NZ Passport in your name |
Go to your nearest police station and report the passport as lost/stolen. You should alert Immigration New Zealand if your passport included a valid Immigration New Zealand visa. Contact the nearest embassy or Passport office for the country concerned. You will most likely need to include a copy of the police report. Contact: Police, Immigration New Zealand, your nearest diplomatic mission Further information: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Embassies |
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Your New Zealand Driver Licence has been lost or stolen Or You suspect someone has obtained a New Zealand driver licence in your name
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Go to your nearest police station and report the licence as lost/stolen. You should replace your driver licence as soon as possible. The issuing of a replacement licence will automatically cancel your previous licence. If you have evidence of your information being fraudulently used by another person, you should report this to the Police. Contact: Police, NZTA Further information: NZTA Stolen/Lost Licences, NZTA Contact Us |
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You have lost your New Zealand Citizenship Certificate or believe it is being misused Or You suspect someone has obtained New Zealand Citizenship in your name |
It is important to contact Internal Affairs – Citizenship as soon as possible to report the loss. You should apply for a replacement certificate as this may prevent the misuse of the lost/stolen document. Phone: 0800 22 51 51 or +64 4 462 0651 if overseas If you have evidence of your information being fraudulently used by another person, you should report this to the Police. Contact: DIA, Police Further information: Citizenship – General contact information |
Suspicious phone calls and mail
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What has happened: |
What you need to do: |
|---|---|
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You receive a phone call from someone asking to fix a problem with your computer that you did not know you had Or Someone knocks on your door selling a service or product you have not requested and wants identification documents |
Unless you have specifically requested someone to fix your computer or something else in your house this is likely to be a scam to gain access to your information either online or physically. You should never let anyone access your computer remotely. If this happens disconnect any devices from the Internet and arrange to get any malware removed. Report the incident to Netsafe. Do not give identification documents to a door to door sales person. If this happens contact the Police and see the sections on lost and stolen documents. Contact: Netsafe, Police Further information: Netsafe – tech-support scam |
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You have not received mail that you expected to receive Or Someone has falsified change of address forms, stolen your mail or committed another type of mail fraud to get your personal information |
Follow up with the person or organisation that should have sent the item to ensure that mail is still being sent and the address details are up to date. You can also contact New Zealand Post to ensure that there is not a hold or redirection in place for your mail. If you have evidence of your information being fraudulently used by another person, you should report this to the Police. Contact: Your account provider, New Zealand Post, Police Further information: NZ Post – Contact and support |
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You have received mail for a bank account you did not open or credit card you did not request |
Keep all the mail and contact the applicable bank about the account or credit card. If you have evidence of your information being fraudulently used by another person, you should report this to the Police. Contact: Your bank, Police |
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A bank or finance company contacts you trying to collect on a loan you did not take out |
Contact the finance company with all the information to put a hold on the account. If you have evidence of your information being fraudulently used by another person, you should report this to the Police. Contact: The bank or finance company, Police |
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You receive a fine in the mail or notification of court proceedings that you know nothing about |
Go to your nearest court and report the issue. Take an identification document, and any information that you have, to prove that you were not involved in the crime. Contact: Ministry of Justice Further information: Ministry of Justice - Dispute a fine |
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You receive a phone call from your bank asking for your internet banking details or PIN number |
Your bank will never ask you to disclose your PIN or give out your internet banking password to a person. You should never respond to an unprompted request for these details. Note down as much as you can about the call, without disclosing your details and let your bank know about the scam. Contact: Your bank |
Strange transactions or other concerns
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What has happened: |
What you need to do: |
|---|---|
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Your bank accounts, investments or brokerage accounts have been tampered with |
Contact your bank or investment provider straight away and discuss specifically the transactions that appear to be fraudulent. If you have evidence of your information being fraudulently used by another person, you should report this to the Police. Contact: Your bank, investment provider, Police |
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You are being billed for a utility account you did not open Or Your utility account has been tampered with |
Contact the utility company straight away and discuss specifically the account in dispute. Provide the details that have been changed, or the account that has been incorrectly charged. Any evidence you have, to support your claim may be helpful. If you have evidence of your identity being fraudulently used by another person, you should report this to the Police. Contact: Your utility company, Police |
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You find enquiries on your credit report that you did not know about Or You find inaccurate information on your credit report |
Discuss the inaccuracies with your bank as you are likely to discover these when taking out a loan. You can also contact the credit agencies to query your credit report and get more information. You may need to follow up with the enquirer to determine if a loan or account has been issued in your name. If you have evidence of your information being fraudulently used by another person, you should report this to the Police. Contact: Your bank, credit agency, Police Further information: Check your credit report |
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You become aware that someone is wrongfully using your identity to commit a crime, what should you do? |
Go to your nearest police station and report the issue. Take your identification documents and any information that you have, to prove that you are not involved in the crime. Contact: Police |
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Something else has happened Or You need support dealing with what has happened |
Contact:
IDCARE performs a leadership role in both New Zealand and Australia, providing a response service to victims of identity theft, scams, and cybercrimes. |
Other useful information
Other websites you may find useful are listed below.
Scamwatch
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs runs Scamwatch. This website gives helpful information about the types of scams happening, what to do if you are a victim of a scam and alerts about scams that have been reported.
NetSafe
NetSafe is an independent non-profit organisation that promotes cybersafety by educating people, organisations and industry. The website provides useful information and tools for the public to learn about how to stay safe online.
The Privacy Commissioner
Provides useful information about the Privacy Act, how to protect your privacy and comply with the Act. You can complain to the Privacy Commissioner if you feel your privacy has been breached.
Anti-Spam
The Department of Internal Affairs Anti-Spam Unit has the responsibility for enforcing the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007, which is designed to combat unsolicited emails and text messages, commonly called spam. The website provides information on how to avoid spam and allows you to complain about spam.
Citizens Advice Bureau
Citizens Advice Bureaux are found throughout New Zealand and provide free, impartial and independent advice from volunteers.
