GRA Blogs

Articles by John Rowe

WARNING: Scammers pretending to be IRD

AUTHOR: John Rowe

POSTED: 25 May 2021

There always seem to be people with a complete lack of integrity trying to scam the rest of us out of our hard-earned money or steal our private information (like passwords). Below is a copy of the latest scam I received.

The email appears to be from the IRD, and of course has a “Login” link they are trying to persuade you to click. If you receive something like this, don’t click anything! Simply delete the email.

If you look closely, you can see the email is not actually from an IRD email address. There is also some weird formatting (e.g. some of the letter ‘a’s are actually alpha symbols, there are line breaks in the middle of sentences) and there are some slightly unusual phrases in the body of the email. (e.g. “transfer your GST return to you”).

If you receive something like this but you are not sure if it is a scam, ask your accountant to confirm whether or not the email is legitimate. You can also contact IRD directly, but don’t use any of the contact details provided within the email.

Unfortunately, scammers appear to be here to stay, so you need to have your wits about you. It’s a shame, but it is best to default to being suspicious of communications like this until you can prove otherwise.

Request a Meeting

John Rowe
Director
Business Accounting Services

09 522-7955

jr@gra.co.nz

© Gilligan Rowe & Associates LP

Did you like this article? Subscribe to our newsletter to receive tips, updates and useful information to help you protect your assets and grow your net worth. We're expert accountants providing expert advice to clients in NZ and around the world.

Disclaimer: This article is intended to provide only a summary of the issues associated with the topics covered. It does not purport to be comprehensive nor to provide specific advice. No person should act in reliance on any statement contained within this article without first obtaining specific professional advice. If you require any further information or advice on any matter covered within this article, please contact the author.

Comments

Testimonials

Matthew was extremely well prepared and delivered his 4 hour presentation like a natural. It was very informative and I believe the value of the information well exceeded the investment in the event. (That doesn't mean putting the price up for the next one though! :) - Johnny

Would you like to receive . .

. . tips, updates and useful information to help
protect your assets and grow your net worth?

Investing in residential property?

Put this at the top of your reading list.

If you're investing in residential property, seeking to maximise your ability to succeed and minimise risk, then this is a 'must read'.

Matthew Gilligan provides a fresh look at residential property investment from an experienced investor’s viewpoint. Written in easy to understand language and including many case studies, Matthew explains the ins and outs of successful property investment.