{"id":591303,"date":"2026-09-05T20:50:18","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T20:50:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/591303\/"},"modified":"2026-09-05T20:50:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T20:50:18","slug":"wait-thats-not-me-and-its-not-anz-either-im-being-deep-faked-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/591303\/","title":{"rendered":"Wait, that’s not me and it’s not ANZ either \u2013 I’m being deep-faked online"},"content":{"rendered":"

Finance writer Frances Cook on her experience of being deep-faked, and how to spot a scammer. <\/p>\n

As someone who\u2019s chronically online, it\u2019s not unusual for me to get a message letting me know that there\u2019s an account pretending to be me, and trying to trick people with it. <\/p>\n

But the scammers have really taken it to the next level this time. <\/p>\n

A series of videos are circulating, as paid ads, on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s \u201cme\u201d, or at least, a fake version of me, talking to the camera from my home office. Only the movement is slightly stilted, and the voice is a much posher, British accent. (My Mum would be thrilled to hear “me” with such rounded vowels).<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A fake Frances Cook with fake ANZ branding: the real Frances does not hand out investment tips online. (Source: istock.com)<\/p>\n

This fake-me tells you that I\u2019ll help you pick the next hot stocks, if you join my WhatsApp group, and get messages from \u201cme\u201d. (I don\u2019t use WhatsApp for anything.)<\/p>\n

Worse, it appears to come from an ANZ-branded account, using the bank’s name and a fake, though quite convincing, approximation of its logo. Although when you click the account, it says it\u2019s a children\u2019s clothing store, the scammer’s impersonation of ANZ isn’t exactly what you’d call watertight. <\/p>\n

It’s depressing and exhausting and I dread to think there may be people out there who truly think I\u2019ve scammed them. <\/p>\n

How to know if it’s really me<\/p>\n

For anyone who sees a post from me, and wonders if it\u2019s actually me, here\u2019s the key difference to look for: I will always tell you HOW money works. I will never tell you WHAT, specifically, you should invest into.<\/p>\n

Giving a specific fund or stock recommendation is illegal, and for good reason. It should only be done by a financial advisor, one-on-one, after they\u2019ve had a conversation about your financial goals and current situation. <\/p>\n

So a specific investment tip floating around on social media? AVOID it, block that account and, if you’re feeling civic-minded, report it. <\/p>\n

But there are plenty of other, low-level scams, or even just money myths that can seriously hurt you while you\u2019re scrolling. <\/p>\n

\"Looking<\/p>\n

Looking for online financial advice? Look out for these red flags. (Source: istock.com)<\/p>\n

So here are five other red flags to watch for, to protect your money online. <\/p>\n

1. \u201cHere\u2019s what everyone needs to do\u201d<\/p>\n

Say it with me now: personal finance is personal. <\/p>\n

Different approaches work at different stages of your life, or when you\u2019re chasing a different outcome for your money. <\/p>\n

Someone who says \u201cthis is the only way, and everyone needs to do it like this\u201d is waving a giant red flag. <\/p>\n

Best case scenario, they don\u2019t know as much as they think they do. Worst case, they\u2019re trying to scam you. <\/p>\n

\"Avoid<\/p>\n

Avoid my-way-or-the-highway advice. (Source: istock.com)<\/p>\n

Yes, social media rewards tips that can be conveyed within a short, punchy clip. But there are very few tips that are truly universal, especially when it comes to money. <\/p>\n

And as I point out above, giving specific investing recommendations is illegal. If your online “advisor” doesn’t know that, or doesn’t care\u2026 either way, that\u2019s a huge red flag.<\/p>\n

2. It\u2019s from somewhere else<\/p>\n

Sometimes the advice you read is actually true! It\u2019s just not true in New Zealand. <\/p>\n

You\u2019ll see claims that you need a credit card to build a credit score, or you\u2019ll ever get anywhere financially. <\/p>\n

True\u2026 in the US. Not in New Zealand. <\/p>\n

Or another common tip is that you can pay your mortgage off faster, simply by changing the frequency of when you make payments. <\/p>\n

True\u2026 in Australia. Not here. <\/p>\n

So check where the person giving the tip is based, then maybe do a quick search to see if their advice still applies here. <\/p>\n

3. A sneaky loophole, with millions of views<\/p>\n

Quick question: do you reckon police officers and tax agents have TikTok too? <\/p>\n

Spoiler alert, they sure do. <\/p>\n

So if you spot a viral video claiming you can get around bank rules, or tax, or anything else, there are two likely scenarios: First, it was never true to begin with, but sure delivered a lot of clicks to that social media account. Second, the tip was true, but now millions of people saw it, and the loophole is getting slammed shut, fast. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s more or less what happened in Australia, where a scheme spread on TikTok, that showed people how to file a fraudulent GST refund. <\/p>\n

\"If<\/p>\n

If it looks too good to be true, it’s possibly criminal. (Source: istock.com)<\/p>\n

More than 57,000 people got caught up in it, with the Australian Tax Office estimating well over $2 billion in bogus refunds were paid out before it was shut down. <\/p>\n

Dozens have already been convicted, and more cases are still being processed by the courts. <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s not get ourselves arrested, team. <\/p>\n

4. \u201cLook how rich I am!\u201d<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s one video I will scroll past every time, it\u2019s one that start with \u201cas a self-made millionaire\u201d right before they launch into a sales pitch, disguised as a life tip. <\/p>\n

\""Get<\/p>\n

“Get rich now, ask me how!” Or maybe don’t… (Source: istock.com)<\/p>\n

A nice car only proves that person was able to be around the car long enough to take a picture with it. They might have paid for it with debt, or it might not be theirs at all. <\/p>\n

Even if they’re personally wealthy, that doesn\u2019t mean the strategy they\u2019re selling actually works, or that it\u2019ll work for you. <\/p>\n

An experienced financial professional knows enough to know which strategies work for most people, and then how to adapt them to different situations. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s far more valuable than someone who has hit it rich and has nothing to share but that singular experience. <\/p>\n

One winning investment, a good month, a good business with no context on how they built it or with whose money? Those aren\u2019t proof of a strong financial track record, it\u2019s just one person\u2019s highlight reel. <\/p>\n

5. \u201cTake action quick\u201d<\/p>\n

Urgency is another dead giveaway that a sales pitch isn\u2019t in your best interests. <\/p>\n

A countdown clock, \u201cDM me before spots fill up\u201d, or claims that they usually only share something with their inner circle \u2013 these are all red flags. Real financial advice doesn\u2019t come with a timer, and doesn\u2019t make you feel like you\u2019re at risk of missing out. <\/p>\n

Is it a real tip, or a sales tactic? If it\u2019s the second, keep scrolling past. <\/p>\n

Stay safe out there, the worldwide web is full of spiders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Finance writer Frances Cook on her experience of being deep-faked, and how to spot a scammer. As someone…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":591304,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[156,111,139,69,2114,244,145],"class_list":["post-591303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-opinion","tag-personal-finance","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/591303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=591303"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/591303\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/591304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=591303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=591303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=591303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}