Page last updated: 11 May 2020

Scam info for Pacific communities

Pacific communities in New Zealand are being harmed by investment scams.

Scammers often take advantage of close-knit community groups such as churches, convincing one member who then helps them convince others in the group. This is known as "affinity fraud" because of the affinity or trust that exists within groups, which the scammers exploit.

Scammers can often take advantage of people's desire to achieve financial goals such as owning a home, promising to help them 'get rich quick' with little or no risk of losing their money.

If you do hand over money to a scammer, it can be very hard to get any back.

That’s why it’s important to know the signs of a scam, and what to do when you spot one.

See our Pacific language resources below:

Faiga Taufa’asesē Teugā ‘Oa mo Polōfiti (Samoan)

Webpage

DLE pamphlet

Founga ‘Inivesimeni Kākā (Tongan)

Webpage

DLE pamphlet

English language versions

Webpage

DLE pamphlet

Read also, Samena's real life story about her run-in with a global crypto-scam called OneCoin. 

And watch her story on TV1’s Tagata Pasifika programme.