Put your fraud radar to the test
For some light post-election learning try TINZ’s Swindler Quiz. From Marketplace sales to council contracts, it draws on real New Zealand cases, with a few practical scenarios mixed in.
Try ten questions or tackle all 20. Some ask what happened; others ask what you would do. Each answer reveals the story and a useful takeaway. You may be surprised by what has happened close to home.
Fraud can start with something quite ordinary: an invoice, an online purchase or a request from someone we trust, and these days increasingly clever online scams. Money lost to fraud means f no ewer resources for public services, less effectively delivered products and services, or a family losing its savings.
Next week is International Fraud Awareness Week. This annual campaign encourages people and organisations to make fraud prevention part of everyday life.
For Transparency International New Zealand, the week is also an opportunity to examine how fraud and corruption exploit weaknesses in our organisations. Hidden personal benefits can distort purchasing decisions. Dishonest invoices divert public money. A trusted position often gives the access—and freedom from scrutiny to keep wrongdoing concealed.
Make room for questions
New Zealand cases show why ordinary checks matter. At Christchurch Hospital, an employee diverted around $1 million in patient payments. A patient’s query about an invoice helped bring the fraud to light. Asking for clarification is a reasonable precaution, organisations should welcome questions and make it safe to raise concerns.
Improve reporting and checking
Fraud Awareness Week provides a reason to review the arrangements in your workplace or community group. Does someone independently check that invoiced work was delivered? Are conflicts of interest declared and managed? Would staff or volunteers know where to take a concern about a senior person?
Protect yourself and your hard earned-money
Individuals can also use the week to refresh familiar precautions: verify unexpected payment requests through an independent contact, pause when pressured to act quickly, and seek advice when something feels wrong. Anyone can be targeted. Blaming people who have been deceived makes it harder to ask for help.
