The research found emails were the most common channel for scams, followed by texts and social media. Photo: 123RF
New research from the Bank of New Zealand shows that nine out of 10 New Zealanders have been targeted by a scam in the last 12 months.
The research showed the number of scams had skyrocketed, up 13 percent on the same time last year.
BNZ head of financial crime Ashley Kai Fong said the sheer number of scams was a stark reminder for people to be vigilant.
"All scams require people to do something - whether that's clicking on a link, engaging in a conversation, or sending money. Ultimately the best defence against scams is you. If you can recognise the signs of a scam, you're less likely to fall victim," he said in a statement.
The research found New Zealander's were also becoming harder to fool, with only one in 10 falling victim.
"Reporting scams is a crucial step in fighting fraud," Kai Fong said. "It provides valuable data to help us understand and combat these threats more effectively, making it harder for scammers to operate."
The BNZ research found that 64 percent of individuals impacted by a scam were reporting it, up from 46 percent last year.
Businesses had also improved their ability to identify and avoid scams, with the number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) falling victim to scams dropping from 47 percent in 2022 to 34 percent this year.
"It's great that Kiwis are increasingly reporting scams, but there is still a lot of room for improvement," Kai Fong said.
"Too many of us don't report scams, or even tell loved ones, due to embarrassment or shame, but we need to remember that this is a scammer's full-time job."
Government impersonation scams were the most prevalent over the last 12 months (45 percent), followed by bank impersonation scams (31 percent), and fake lottery, prize or grant scams (24 percent).
The research found email was found the most common channel for scams (40 percent), followed by text (34 percent), and social media (28 percent).