Online car scam
10.01am 31 May 2023
Customs is aware of an online scam offering people a new car, in exchange for payments and personal details.
Customs discovered the scam following an interaction with an elderly man at a postal service desk.
The scam
The man received an email which appeared to be from ‘BMW’, advising that he had been selected as one of 10 people to receive a new car. He was asked to pay for the delivery fee and provide his name and address.
The man was told he would be sent a smart key for the car and an ATM card with USD$1.5 million loaded onto it.
The emails he received were from two different addresses and with unusual monikers. He was repeatedly asked to make payments.
After making payments he was told to pick up the smart key from a postal service desk, but was then told it had been redirected twice.
He was told to email a photo of him receiving the smart key package, and following that he would be sent the car, which would arrive by plane. The smart key package never arrived.
Subsequent checks from Customs did identify two packages addressed to the man, which been seized as they were found to contain two fraudulent credit cards.
If you have received similar emails, please report it to Netsafe. Even if you were not tricked by the scam, reporting it can protect others.
Report a scam to Netsafe on their website.