Where to go when something feels off.
Every New Zealander is being targeted, by texts, emails, calls, and social ads. The good news is there’s a well-funded network of NZ-specific services ready to help. This page pulls together the ones we’d point our own family and clients to.
If something has already happened
The three you should bookmark
Between them, these three cover almost every situation a New Zealander runs into online, from a suspicious text right through to a live incident response. Save them in your phone before you need them.
NCSC
The government's operational cyber-security agency. Report cyber incidents, get incident-response help, and read threat advisories.
- Report a data breach or account compromise
- Report a phishing / smishing scam that's cost you money
- Read national-level threat advisories
Own Your Online
Plain-English guides for individuals and small businesses. Check whether something is a scam, learn how to spot fakes, and get step-by-step recovery advice.
- "Is this a scam?" quick-check tools
- Guides on 2FA, passwords, safe shopping
- Advice tailored to individuals and small business
Netsafe
Free, confidential advice seven days a week. Best for online harassment, online-trading scams and situations where you need to talk to a human.
- Trade Me / Facebook Marketplace scams
- Cyberbullying, harassment, image abuse
- You want to talk it through with a person
Other NZ services worth knowing
Depending on what happened, one of these is probably the right first stop.
Free service run by NZ telcos. Forwarding a scam SMS to 7726 lets your carrier block similar messages network-wide.
Just forward, no reply needed.
Run by DIA's Anti-Spam team. Attach the full email (headers + body) if you can.
If your bank won't reimburse a scam-loss dispute, escalate here (free, independent).
Check the FMA warnings list before investing. If a "broker" or "investment platform" isn't on the register, it's almost certainly a scam.
If a business has mishandled your personal information, or you're on the receiving end of a data breach.
MBIE-run guide to the most common scam patterns targeting New Zealanders, plus your rights under the Fair Trading Act.
Report a crime that isn't in progress. Use 111 only if someone is in danger or the crime is happening now.
Six habits that block most attacks
No single trick keeps you safe, but the following six habits, done consistently, will stop the vast majority of the scams we see on The Local Vocal.