Auckland Santa Parade scam: beware of page asking for money, organizers say

Scammers appear to be trying to take advantage of the Christmas spirit, with a fake Auckland Santa Parade social media page asking people for their credit card details.

The official Farmers Santa Parade Auckland will take place this afternoon in the CBD that runs along Queen St starting at 1pm.

For several days a Facebook page called Farmers Santa Parade 2020 has been running, containing images copied from the official event.

You are promoting a live stream link for the event and asking people to enter their credit card details.

Michael Barnett, who chairs the Santa Parade organization, confirmed to the Herald that it was a fraudulent page.

“We haven’t heard that anyone has been scammed yet, but we want to make it clear that none of our official pages is asking for money.

“Sadly, it shows the crooks we’re dealing with, people trying to take advantage of others at this time of year.”

They had contacted Facebook with concerns and to remove the page, but had received no response, Barnett said.

He urged others who found the page to report it as well.

Unfortunately, in this afternoon’s parade, experts will not enjoy the same clear sky that thousands of people enjoyed throughout the city yesterday, as showers are forecast during the day.

However, it will be hot with a maximum of 21 ° C.

“The weather could bring down the numbers, but we’re really looking forward to it,” Barnett said.

“It is still a great opportunity to celebrate Christmas and get into a festive atmosphere. The parade must go on.”