Suspected scam involving persons purporting to be from the FMA

PHONE: 04 889 3961

REASON FOR WARNING: The FMA is aware of an individual by the name of Evan Francisco, purporting to be an 'Admin Officer' from the FMA, calling New Zealand residents to offer assistance with the recovery of funds invested in a previous scam.

The FMA does not undertake activities of this nature and are concerned this has the hallmarks of a recovery scam, which usually target people who have previously lost money to scams asking them to pay upfront fees to recover the funds. The scammers often claim to be lawyers, government officials, or consumer advocates to gain the individual's trust.

There is no individual employed at the FMA by the name of Evan Francisco. There is also no such role at the FMA as an "Admin Officer". The FMA does not make unsolicited outbound calls of this nature to members of the public.

The FMA recommends anyone who receives unexpected contact in these circumstances to hang up immediately.