Monday June 9, 09:00 AM Scam courier swiped millions: police
New Zealanders are being warned to be wary of a bogus courier driver who may have stolen more than $A10 million in Australia.
The man uses what looked like a portable eftpos machine to swipe cards for a $3.50 "courier payment" - then used the information to siphon cash from his victims' bank accounts.
Detective Constable Michelle Marrison said the con man had fleeced $NZ43,000 ($A34,453) from at least seven bank accounts from residents living in Northland, the region north of Auckland.
He was believed to have stolen $NZ100,000 during April and May.
The victims were often members of clubs, telephoned at home by a man who claimed his elderly mother wanted to donate equipment, Ms Marrison told the Northern Advocate newspaper.
The man said he worked for the health board and would send a medical courier over with the items.
The next stage of the scam entailed a bogus courier driver arriving and asking for a $NZ3.50 eftpos payment.
The victims' cards were swiped through the machine - a card scanner which stored all details, including the PIN.
Ms Marrison said the information was then downloaded, the card cloned and used at ATM machines to withdraw huge sums of cash.
She said the man may have stolen $A10 million in Australia over a five-year period in a similar scam.
He is described as caucasian, about 187cm tall, slim with sandy or mousy coloured hair.
He possibly speaks with an accent and on most occasions was described as clean shaven.
The Bankers' Association last month warned consumers to check identification after the bogus courier driver stole thousands of dollars.
Association chief executive Alan Yates warned the public to be wary of suspicious callers after scammers targeted clubs and societies in Northland and Auckland.
Mr Yates said information swiped from the cards was being used to get cash from ATMs in Australia.
"Our advice to the public in the area is to make sure they know the identity of the courier company making the delivery, that they request official identification from the courier driver, and if they are still suspicious to call the police."
