Kiwi adults lost an estimated $503.5 million to scams in the last year, according to new research – with more than a third of victims being scammed more than once.
The State of Scams Report 2026: New Zealand from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, in partnership with Netsafe, said New Zealanders faced an average of 88 scam attempts per year, with 83% encountering at least one – up 1% from 2025.
Emails remained the most common way scammers reached New Zealanders (59%), followed by text messages (44%) and phone calls (27%). Gmail (38%) and Facebook (35%) were the platforms most often named as the point of contact.
And while almost three-quarters of adults (73%) said they were confident they could recognise a scam, just under half (44%) of those who encountered a scam went on to interact with it. Of those who interacted with the scam, a quarter (23%) lost money or had personal information used to steal money.
A conman stole her life savings, but Seven Sharp viewers responded in droves and donated to a fundraiser. (Source: Seven Sharp)
Shopping, impersonation and investment scams drew the most interaction, according to the report, with victims losing $1623 on average. More than a third of victims (37%) were scammed more than once, and 60% said the experience affected their mental wellbeing
Almost half of people who fell victim to scams (49%) found out they had been scammed only after being told by someone or something else, such as a bank, family member or authority, up from 37% in 2025.
Three quarters (74%) of those who encountered a scam reported it to someone, but they were far more likely to tell friends or family (51%) than the police (17%). Of those who reported losing money, 42% had some or all of it recovered or reimbursed.
Consumers expected to be 'experts in deception'
Netsafe chief executive officer Brent Carey said the findings reinforced that scam prevention could not rest solely with consumers who were increasingly expected to identify sophisticated deception while going about everyday activities such as online shopping, banking and looking for work.
"People should be able to look for work, buy something online or respond to a message from their bank without having to become experts in deception," Carey said. "The frequency of scam encounters in New Zealand makes protection a responsibility for every organisation involved in those everyday activities."
Carey said New Zealand businesses needed to do more to protect consumers from increasingly convincing scams.
NetSafe chief online safety officer Sean Lyons said stopping scammers requires a multi-faceted approach. (Source: Breakfast)
"We are calling for greater investment in prevention, clearer reporting processes and stronger collaboration across industries. Businesses also need to consider what happens when a customer falls victim to a scam, with clear reporting processes and accessible support essential to limiting further harm," he said.
"Someone seeking help should be able to understand where to report, what action may be possible and where further support is available. Confusion about those steps adds to an already difficult experience."
The research also highlighted the challenge posed by increasingly convincing scam messages and scenarios, with familiar brands and seemingly genuine communications making it harder for people to know who to trust, Carey said.
He called for businesses to strengthen verification processes, improve customer communications and ensure their advice reflected the situations people actually encountered.
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