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Thread ID: 146673	2018-10-21 03:39:00	Nzers are thick?	piroska (17583)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1454647	2018-10-21 03:39:00	Microsoft study shows New Zealand tops list of most-scammed countries New Zealanders are the most likely people in the world to have experienced a tech support scam, according to a new study from Microsoft. When it comes to “helpdesk” phone calls and fake pop-ups that resemble software notifications, New Zealand leads the world. However, the most frequent victims are not who you might think. Young and male New Zealanders are especially susceptible to losing money from tech support scams, thanks to a tendency towards risky behaviour and overconfidence in their technical abilities. Among the 16 nationalities surveyed for the 2018 Global Tech Support Scam Research conducted by TRG, New Zealanders reported the highest levels of exposure to tech scams, with more than three-quarters experiencing at least one. Globally, the average is 62 per cent. Kiwis are also far more likely than other nationalities to be exposed to fake pop-up ads and windows posing as notifications from their software provider, as well as scams that redirect unsuspecting victims to websites that mimic real tech company sites in order to trick them into giving away passwords and important details. Around a fifth (21 per cent) of New Zealanders who had encountered tech support scams were fooled into continuing with an interaction, and just six per cent of those suffered direct financial losses. However, those figures don’t reveal the full story. The research shows that more than a third of those who engaged with a scam ended up incurring costs as a result of spending time or money to repair their systems and ensure they weren’t compromised. It may come as a surprise that Millennials and males are the most likely to have experienced losses from scams, and that they are also significantly more likely to trust that companies won’t try to sell them unnecessary support services. However, Microsoft New Zealand’s National Technology Officer, Russell Craig, says it’s understandable, if concerning. “The common stereotype of scam victims is that they are elderly and less experienced with computers and software, but this is a case of a little knowledge leading to overconfidence,” he says. “Because computer use is skewed towards younger generations and males, who are also more likely to engage in riskier behaviours such as visiting torrent download sites, they are more likely to encounter scams. Greater exposure plus greater confidence using computers makes under 40s and men more susceptible to clever scammers.” The proportion of Kiwis tricked is surprising given the high level of scepticism among those surveyed. 90 per cent of all Kiwis claim to doubt a reputable company would initiate unsolicited contact, seven per cent higher than the global average. On the other hand, New Zealand’s incidence of economic loss is exactly on par with the rest of the countries surveyed. Losses from scams have declined three per cent worldwide since the previous survey in 2016, which did not include New Zealand, dropping to six per cent overall. India is still the country with the most reported losses, with 14 per cent of all those who engaged with tech support scams losing money to the scammers – but this is against a whopping 22 per cent who lost out in 2016. The US has also drastically improved, from 21 per cent impacted to just six per cent within two years. By contrast, previous star performers Denmark and the UK have experienced increased loss rates. Seven per cent of Danes engaging with tech support scams lost money (up from four per cent in 2016) and the UK’s results are now level with New Zealand’s, a marked rise from the two per cent of respondents who’d suffered financial impacts in the previous survey. Globally, respondents believe that responsibility for addressing tech support scams rests mostly with consumer protection agencies, followed by law enforcement agencies and regulators.	piroska (17583)
1454648	2018-10-23 01:19:00	I think our small size is a factor in giving scams a better hit rate. If you want to pretend to be a persons ISP you have a very good chance of simply guessing their ISP if you simply claim to be Spark or Vodafone. If you want to pretend to be representing someones bank, you've got a 1 in 4 chance of getting that right. Add in the culpability of Xtra in pretending to be impotent about their part in offering NZ phone lines to 3rd parties to 'retail' to overseas parties (ie scammers), and you 've again got kiwis made more vulnerable for the sake of Xtras a) profits and b) laziness with regard to taking responsibility.	Paul.Cov (425)
1454649	2018-10-23 01:58:00	Perhaps its just kiwi's are more honest when asked in a 'survey' Or the survey is bogus: more likely "21% of Kiwis surveyed have been tricked into continuing with an interaction" I call total BS on that . How was the question asked, was the survey using leading questions , how many were surveyed , how where they surveyed, how many refused to be surveyed , to what level did they continue with the scammer, how many lost money. Try this made up stat 95% of kiwis would not participate in 'surveys' either by phone or email or weblink . Those few who do participate are quite likley to be scammed, as many 'surveys' are actually part of a scam From the survey "90% of consumers believed it highly unlikely that a reputable company would initiate unsolicited contact"	1101 (13337)
1454650	2018-10-23 03:56:00	I don't know...I have been asked by various people. And not ones you'd expect. Points that thy thought to ask, but they had been convinced up until then, and took some showing before they realised.	piroska (17583)
1454651	2018-10-24 15:54:00	Perhaps its just kiwi's are more honest when asked in a 'survey' Or the survey is bogus: more likely I was gonna say, the original assertion could be erroneous in -so- many ways; anyway. ;$	kgbme (17644)
1454652	2018-10-28 03:52:00	Perhaps the survey (given its origin) is only a development testing survey and not intended to be released as a finished product?	R2x1 (4628)
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