Most of us will quickly dismiss the thought of being the target of a scam. But the sad reality is that scams affect thousands of Kiwis every year, and they're increasingly becoming more sophisticated.
Rest assured, we take your privacy seriously and we hold your personal information with care. But to truly combat the likelihood of being scammed, it's important that you remain vigilant on what to look out for and report suspicious activity as soon as you spot it.
If we need to text you: we will never ask you to disclose your personal information or payment details via text, and we will always include your policy number and/or our 0800 number.
If we need to contact you via email: we will always include your policy, claim or quote number (if applicable), as well as our contact details.
If you're ever uncertain about a message you've received from State, give us a call on 0800 80 24 24.
For the most part, scammers will try to manipulate or trick you into giving away your personal information, financial details, or money - either through fake weblinks, emails, texts, or phone calls.
Sometimes, they'll be impersonating an organisation you trust, like a government department, a utility provider, your banking provider, or your insurer. They can go to great lengths to appear trustworthy, so don't always assume they're legitimate.
Here are some handy resources on the most common types of scams and the things you can do to avoid falling victim to them:
If you're contacted by a company asking you to make an urgent payment, phone a number or click a web link, and you're uncertain of its legitimacy, do not open any links or reply to the message. Instead, the safest option is to give them a phone call using the contact details published on their official website.
You'll find all the ways you can contact us over on our contact page.
If you suspect you've been scammed, report it to the NetSafe website straight away. NetSafe will get back to you with advice and may also pass your report to another agency, such as the police, your bank, or Consumer Protection.
For text scams, you can forward these directly to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) on 7726.
If you believe the scammer was impersonating State, report it to us as soon as you've notified NetSafe or the DIA. This will help us to warn other customers and prevent further harm.
We are not currently aware of any scams involving State.
