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NZTA rego scam email image December 1, 2020
Vehicle owners are being told to ignore a fraudulent license renewal email claiming to be from the Waka Kotahi NZ Transportation Agency (NZTA).
The email tells recipients to pay $ 79.95 and directs them, via the “renew now” button, to a website with the NZTA logo at the top.
While the email looks legitimate, it is not real. The email is not from the NZTA and the website you are directing to is a bogus website, not the NZTA website.
These phishing emails have been circulating for over a year, but there has been a recent spike in reports about them.
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NZTA spokesman Andy Knackstedt said scammers are likely trying to capitalize on the upcoming holidays to catch people off guard during Christmas and New Year’s business.
“Since we first issued warnings about a similar phishing scam in late 2019, several new versions of the original phishing email have appeared.
“We are working with the police, CERT NZ and Netsafe to combat scammers, but they are persistent, and as soon as one fake website is removed, another appears.”
A genuine vehicle registration reminder email sent by NZTA will include the recipient’s vehicle-specific details (eg, license plate number, vehicle make, and license expiration date on the vehicle’s rego tag).
Also, genuine NZTA emails will come from @ nzta.govt.nz or @ reply.nzta.govt.nz.
The fraudulent email addresses look similar but are not correct. Some examples of artificial emails include nzta.co.nz, nzta.gov.nz, nzta.qovt.nz, nzta.nz, nzta.com.
Knackstedt said that anyone who receives an email that does not include specific details about their vehicle, or that appears suspicious or incorrect, should not complete the renewal transaction online.
“If you receive one of these messages you should delete it immediately and if you think you have received a fraudulent email or are unsure about something, please email NZTA.”
Monique Ford / Stuff
Netsafe CEO Martin Cocker says scammers are taking advantage of the growing number of kiwis transacting online.
Email scammers have been increasingly active in New Zealand in recent years.
Netsafe CEO Martin Cocker said the more kiwis got used to conducting online transactions, such as rego renewals, the more scammers would take advantage of the situation.
“Scammers are seeing greater opportunities now, thanks to the impact of Covid-19, which has led to increasing numbers of people using online services.”
The key people need to remember when presented with a seemingly official email is to go directly to the site that it supposedly came from, rather than clicking the link sent in the email, Cocker said.
“So with an apparent email from the NZTA, like the scams currently circulating, go to the NZTA website. Please do not click the ‘renew now’ link in the email. “
