\u201cThat was referred to NZTA and police,\u201d Mitchell said.<\/p>\n
But he had not been contacted about the person alleged to be running the more recent alleged airline ticket scam<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know migrant and ethnic communities are often singled out through language-specific platforms, and through the trust people place in closed community groups,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Scammers also targeted other vulnerable demographics, such as older people, who might be less familiar with rapidly changing digital platforms, Mitchell said.<\/p>\n Those vulnerable groups might also rely heavily on family and community networks for information.<\/p>\n \u201cThese factors make these scams even more damaging and harder to detect early.\u201d<\/p>\n He urged people who were uncertain about the authenticity of goods or services to seek advice from the National Cyber Security Centre<\/a>, Netsafe, or the NZ Consumer Protection website<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThey can also talk it over with someone they trust, contact their local police station or make use of the advisory services provided by agencies such as Netsafe.\u201d<\/p>\n Anyone who believed they had been scammed could report it immediately to police.<\/p>\n The Travel Agents\u2019 Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) urged people to be vigilant when booking holidays.<\/p>\n It said booking scams, fake accommodation listings, and AI-generated misinformation and payment fraud were on the rise.<\/p>\n In some cases, travellers arrived overseas to find their accommodation did not exist.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile helpful for inspiration, AI tools can produce outdated, fabricated or incomplete travel information.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd crucially, AI cannot help you at midnight when a cancellation, weather event or airline disruption requires immediate rebooking.\u201d<\/p>\n It said booking with a New Zealand-based entity should provide stronger consumer protection and clearer legal pathways for resolving disputes. <\/p>\n Airline ticket scams included false \u201cconsolidator deals\u201d, which involved wholesalers buying tickets then supposedly selling them to agents at discounts.<\/p>\n The association said other scams involved unlicensed agents taking money for tickets that were never issued.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee said yesterday that an exemption to anti-money laundering laws now let several banks share information to prevent fraud and scams.<\/p>\n \u201cAnti\u2013money laundering rules<\/a> have made it too hard for banks to share information about known fraud or scam activity, including \u2018mule\u2019 accounts and associated details.<\/p>\n \u201cThis red tape relief means banks will be able to act faster, work together more effectively, and in many cases freeze scam transfers before the money disappears overseas for good.\u201d<\/p>\n