People urged not to fall for latest bank card letterbox scam

Author: Vaimoana Mase,
Publish Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2026, 1:32pm

People are being warned about a new bank card scam targeting the elderly around South Auckland, with scammers coaxing them into leaving bank cards in the mailbox so they can investigate fraudulent behaviour.

The scammers then retrieve the bank cards from letterboxes and use them to withdraw money or make purchases.

Police have now issued a warning to the public about the scam, encouraging family and friends of elderly parents to check in with them about such schemes.

Detective Senior Sergeant Simon Taylor, of the Counties Manukau Police criminal investigation branch, described what the scammers are telling unsuspecting people.

“In this scam, offenders contact victims by phone while pretending to be investigating fraudulent use of their bank card.

”They convince the victim that their bank account has been compromised and instruct them to place their bank card in their letterbox so it can be collected for investigation.”

Scammers continue to find ways to lure people into passing over their bank details before draining their accounts. Photo / 123RF

Taylor said police have seen similar bank scams around the country, with scammers impersonating authorities to gain people’s trust in a bid to access their finances.

Last September, Westpac NZ and ANZ issued warnings about scammers impersonating bank staff often over the phone and convincing customers to hand over their bank cards and pin numbers.

Westpac NZ told its customers on social media at the time that in some instances, cards had been handed over in person and some victims offered cash as compensation for the inconvenience.

Tens of thousands drained from elderly couple’s accounts

“Once the card is picked up, the accounts are drained of their funds - sometimes resulting in losses reaching into the tens of thousands,” the bank wrote.

In one incident, an elderly couple from Whangārei had tens of thousands of dollars drained from their bank accounts after a scammer convinced them to leave their Eftpos cards and pin numbers in their mailbox.

Police said the couple were left “really distraught”.

Taylor said: “These scams can result in significant financial loss and are particularly distressing for victims. Police are asking family members, neighbours and caregivers to check in with elderly or vulnerable people and ensure they are aware of this scam.”

Those actions could help stop a potential victim from falling for such scams, he said.

Police are reminding people of these key tips to help prevent them falling victim to a bank scam:

Never follow instructions to leave your bank card or personal information in your letterbox or outside your home.
Do not provide your pin number, password or banking details to anyone over the phone.
If you are unsure, hang up the phone and contact your bank using the official phone number or the number on the back of your bank card.
If someone contacts you claiming to be the police, you can verify this by calling the police non-emergency number: 105.
Police are urging members of the public who have been targeted by this latest scam to contact police on 105.

They are also advised to report the incident to their respective bank immediately.