When we think about scamming, we think 'that wouldn't happen to me'. Scams are supposedly reserved for the elderly, hopeless, and those who are totally gullible. Rachel, a tax accountant from Auckland, in her late 30's wouldn't put herself into any of those categories, yet she was swindled out of $100,000. This is a cautionary tale that involves, deceit, love, a hostage situation, lots of texting, and the pillaging of a hard-earned savings account. This is her story...  


The scam that Rachel fell victim to is brand new to Aotearoa. It showed up for the first-time last year and the number of reports keeps rising. It targets millennials and it’s incredibly effective at extracting huge sums of money. In China where it’s been around for a few more years it’s known as ‘The Pig Butchering’ scam. That title hasn’t caught on here where it’s variously referred to as a hybrid or combo scam.


If you think you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this episode the first think you should do it contact your bank, next get in touch with one of the following agencies: 

Netsafe - 0508 638 723 

ID Care - 0800 121 068 

CERT NZ - 0800 2378 69 

And specifically for investment scams the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) - 0800 434 566 


Our huge thanks and appreciation go to Rachel for sharing her story to us, as well as everyone who helped us research this episode. You know who you are 😊 


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