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Home/Let's Talk Security/How to Protect Yourself

How to Protect Yourself

Learn how to protect yourself and your family from scams and identity theft.

Staying Vigilant

We urge you to remain vigilant to scams. Please note, we will never contact our customers requesting their passwords.

Be on high alert for phishing scams
Scammers may contact you by SMS, phone, email or post, pretending to be from Latitude or Gem.

Verify any communications you receive to ensure they are authentic
Inspect the sender's email address for anomalies and be wary of phone numbers originating from unusual geographic locations.

Be careful with links and attachments
Instead of clicking links within emails or SMS, navigate to our website through your browser or visit our app. Do not open attachments from unsolicited contact.

Do not respond to SMS or emails from suspicious numbers or email addresses
If you have received a Latitude or Gem branded scam, please report them to scams@latitudefinancial.com and then delete the message.

Monitor your bank accounts
If you spot any unusual or suspicious activity, notify your bank immediately.

Use strong and unique passwords
Regularly update your passwords and ensure you are using strong passwords. Enable multi-factor authentication where possible.

Common Types of Scams

Familiarise yourself with the most common types of scams to help prevent falling victim to them.

  • Phishing Scams
  • Online Shopping Scams
  • Investment Scams
  • Romance Scams
  • Job Scams

Phishing is a technique scammers use to trick you into providing personal information such as usernames and passwords, credit card details or other personal data, or to download malicious software on your device. Scammers may contact you by email, phone call or text message, often pretending to be from a legitimate business.

Signs of a phishing scam

  • They have not addressed you by your proper name.
  • Spelling errors and grammatical mistakes in the message.
  • Similar but slightly incorrect email addresses, logos and URLs.
  • Requests for your one-time password.
  • Use of threatening language and the use of time pressure to convince you to act.

Tips:

  • Before clicking on a link, hover your mouse over it to see the actual web address.
  • Contact the organisation through an independent search to verify the legitimacy of the contact.
  • Never give out your one-time passwords.
  • Don't open an attachment if you weren't expecting it.

Scammers pretend to be legitimate online sellers, either with a fake website or a fake ad on a genuine retailer site, to deceive people into buying from them. Once they have received payment for the product, the shopper might receive the item, but they'll be fake, or they may not receive anything at all.

Signs of an online shopping scam:

  • Price, benefits or features of the product sound too good to be true.
  • Requesting non-secure payment methods.
  • Information about privacy, terms and conditions or the contact details are inadequate.

Tips:

  • Be wary of offers that seem too good to be true.
  • Avoid feeling pressured to transfer money to the other party.
  • Check the reviews of the merchant, online store and its products.
  • Be cautious of missing privacy policies, terms and conditions or refund information.
  • Look for 'https' and a closed padlock icon in the web browser when making payments online.

Scammers may contact you via phone or email offering you an investment opportunity promising big payouts, quick money or guaranteed returns.

Signs of an investment scam:

  • Promises of high returns with low risks.
  • Unsolicited contact offering advice on investments.
  • Requesting non-secure payment methods.
  • Information about privacy, terms and conditions or the contact details are inadequate.

Tips:

  • Be wary of offers that seem too good to be true and are time-sensitive.
  • Do your own research and get professional advice.
  • Don't provide your details or respond to unsolicited contact from people you don't know.

Romance scammers use fake online profiles and declarations of love to create a false sense of trust to gain access to your funds.

Signs of a romance scam:

  • Declarations of strong feelings towards you just after a few contacts.
  • Their online profile is not consistent with what they tell you.
  • Messages are usually poorly written.
  • Requests for money, gifts or your financial details.

Tips:

  • Research your potential partner online.
  • Conduct a reverse-image search (such as Google or TinEye) to see if the photo has been posted elsewhere on the internet.
  • Be cautious when sharing pictures or videos, especially when you haven't met them.

Jobs and employment scams trick you into handing over your money by offering you a 'guaranteed' way to make fast money or to obtain a high-paying job for little effort. Scammers may contact you by email, phone call or text message.

Signs of a job scam

  • Offers of high paying jobs that require low effort.
  • Demands for an upfront fee to secure a guaranteed job or large returns.
  • Requests of money to be transferred on behalf of someone else.

Tips:

  • Be wary of job offers from people or companies you don't know.
  • Research the company offering the job.
  • Be cautious of bogus employment ads on legitimate job sites.

Online Safety Organisations

CERT NZ is your first port of call when you need to report a cyber security problem. Cert NZ support businesses, organisations and individuals affected by cyber security incidents, and provide trusted and authoritative information and advice.

You can report an issue by completing an online form.

Find Out More

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is part of the Government Communications Security Bureau. Their role is to help New Zealand's most significant public and private sector organisations to protect their information systems from advanced cyber-borne threats.

Find Out More

Netsafe is New Zealand's independent, non-profit online safety organisation that provides online safety support, expertise and education to people in New Zealand. You will find simple, easy to understand advice on how to protect yourself online, as well as up-to-date information on the latest online threats and how to respond.

You can report a scam to Netsafe using their incident form.

Find Out More

New Zealand Police provide guidelines to keep yourself safe online and where to get help when things don't go to plan.

Find Out More

Contacting Gem

To protect your personal information, this is who you need to contact if you're concerned about your online security.

Report a Scam

Received a suspicious email or text message?

  • If you believe you've received a Gem branded scam, please forward the email or a screenshot of the text message to scams@latitudefinancial.com and then delete the message.
  • Please note that while we monitor this inbox, we aren't able to respond to individual emails. You'll receive an automated response to let you know that we are looking into it.
  • If you've responded to or actioned a suspicious email or message, it's possible your security has been compromised. Please contact us immediately.

Report a Suspicious Transaction

Seeing some suspicious activity on your account?

If you believe there's fraudulent activity on your account, contact us immediately so we can make sure your account is secure.

If you're concerned about a transaction or charge appearing on your account that may not be yours, you can raise a dispute and we will investigate it.

Report a Lost or Stolen Card

Have a lost, stolen, or damaged card?

Don't panic, you can cancel the card and we'll send you a new one.

Just let us know using the mobile app, Latitude Service Centre or via our online form.

For more information on how to report a lost, stolen or damaged card, please visit here.