Money Man On Forgery Charges
September 20, 2015 | Fraud
The Financial Markets Authority is reviewing its recruitment procedures after an analyst was charged with forging a glowing academic record to get his job and then stealing nearly $210,000 in a Ponzi-type scheme.
The FMA confirmed today that Anthony Kiro worked at the FMA from September 2014 until January 2015.
Kiro is alleged to have convinced women he met on online dating sites such as Tinder, or businessmen introduced to him by associates, to invest in companies soon to list on the stock exchange.
They trusted the 35-year-old bec…
Scammers Targeting Kiwi Users
September 15, 2015 | Fraud
Microsoft New Zealand and NetSafe say there's been a "significant increase" in reports of scammers trying to rip people off by claiming there's something wrong with their computer.
Netsafe's executive director Martin Cocker said the scammers try and legitimise their ruse by claiming to call from Microsoft.
The cold callers offer to fix compromised computers and ask for remote access to computers which can reveal credit card details or bank account numbers. Some people have allowed access and one is reported to have lost around $5000.…
Masterton Woman Guilty Of $127,000 Benefit Fraud
September 14, 2015 | Fraud
A Masterton woman has been found guilty of fraudulently receiving more than $127,000 in benefit payments.
A judge found that for eight years Keriana Sandra Reiri, 41, failed to tell Work and Income she was in a "relationship in the nature of marriage" with the father of her four children, claiming $127,274 in domestic purposes benefits and other assistance she was not entitled to.
In a reserved decision issued after a two-day trial in Masterton District Court last month, Judge Bill Hastings found Reiri guilty of 11 counts of using a …
Whangaparaoa Couple Lose $25,000 To Scammers
September 11, 2015 | Fraud
A retired couple who thought a scammer could never pull the wool over their eyes have been fleeced for $25,000.
The North Auckland pair wish to remain anonymous but want their story heard so others don't suffer similar frustrations, sleepless nights and tears from being suckered.
"It's horrible. We were so stupid it's unbelievable," the devastated Whangaparaoa couple say.
"We fell in this trap, we never thought we would, but we did - badly."
The two began looking for a campervan last week to mooch around New Zealand, like they did…
Auckland Grammar Teacher Pleads Guilty To Fraud
September 9, 2015 | Fraud
A teacher from a top Auckland school has admitted using colleagues' personal details to swindle more than $67,000.
Ex-Auckland Grammar School economics, accounting and business studies teacher Rafe Callum Fannin, 36, pleaded guilty to 13 charges at Auckland District Court this morning.
Police initially charged Fannin with four counts of dishonestly using driving licences, in the names of people he worked with, to gain a pecuniary advantage.
Two weeks later they added nine further charges, most of which covered the defendant dishonest…
Former Nurse Suspended For Shopping Spree On Friend's Credit Card
September 9, 2015 | Fraud
A former Auckland nurse has been suspended after stealing a friend's credit card and clocking up purchases worth more than $3,500 over a three month period.
Rouchda Jacobs his since fled the country to the United Kingdom, ignoring emails from The New Zealand Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal and leaving her victim $4,000 out of pocket.
In the Tribunal's decision released this afternoon, it revealed Jacobs met and became friends with the victim in 2011. During that period Jacobs mentioned that she didn't have any furniture fo…
How To Spot A Counterfeit Bank Note
September 9, 2015 | Fraud
New Zealand has low levels of counterfeiting by international standards, but that doesn’t mean we can forget about checking our banknotes.
By regularly taking a second look we can all do our bit to keep forged banknotes out of circulation.
Our banknotes are made of polymer (a type of plastic) and have security features carefully built in to help make spotting a counterfeit easier. Here are ten easy ways to make sure the notes you’ve got are the real thing.
What should I do if I find a counterfeit?
• If you believe someone is trying …
Guilty Verdict In $4m Auckland Fraud Case
September 2, 2015 | Fraud
An Auckland woman has been found guilty in a fraud case worth millions of dollars.
The jury in the trial of Vicki Ravana Letele reached verdicts at Auckland District Court yesterday.
Letele faced 11 charges under the Crimes Act of using a document, relating to 11 property transactions in 2010, totalling $3.9 million. She was found guilty on 10 of the charges and not guilty on one.
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) says its prosecution established Ms Letele conspired with an associate, Ramni Kumar, to obtain mortgage finance for low-ear…
StudyLink Worker Steals To Fund Gambling Addiction
August 31, 2015 | Fraud
A StudyLink worker stole $61,000 worth of student financial support payments to fund his gambling addiction.
Lower Hutt resident Josiah Thomas McIntyre, 23, admitted a charge of obtaining the money by deception while employed by the Ministry of Social Development.
He appeared for sentencing in the Hutt Valley District Court on August 26.
Judge Peter Butler said McIntyre's offending occured while he worked at a StudyLink contact centre in High St from 2011 to 2014.
Last year, he accessed the student records of 22 clients who had pre…
Auckland Grammar Teacher Facing Seven Years In Jail For Fraud
August 18, 2015 | Fraud
A teacher from a top Auckland school accused of unlawfully using colleagues' personal details faces new charges of obtaining credit cards in their names.
Auckland Grammar School economics, accounting and business studies teacher Rafe Callum Fannin, 36, appeared in Auckland District Court two weeks ago facing four counts of dishonestly using a driver's licence to obtain a pecuniary advantage.
Today another similar charge was added, as well as eight counts of obtaining credit cards by deception.
Auckland Grammar School economics, acco…