SUPPLIED

Christchurch builder Lachlan Nimmo received multiple threatening scam text messages.

Lachlan Nimmo was sitting in the food court eating dinner with his wife at Northlands Mall, Christchurch, when the first text arrived at 6.56pm on Thursday.

The 58-year-old builder had never been scammed before, but his night was about to turn sour - and it had nothing to do with the sweet and sour chicken meal he was partway through.

All of a sudden, Nimmo was bombarded with texts from someone claiming to be from the Black Power gang. The texts demanded a payment of $1000 or they would burn Nimmo's house down and harm his family.

Nimmo wasn't initially too worried. But he and his wife Judy were eating together, so when the text saying "we are watching you and your gf [girlfriend]" arrived, they suspected they were genuinely being watched.

"My wife is terminally ill - brain disease, in a wheelchair. She was frightened because the offender said she was my girlfriend. She thought we were being watched," he said. 

Nimmo was concerned that other people might fall prey to it. "We live in a very weird age," he said.

"I feel very sad for the people, to be honest. We live in a world where people are so desperate they do desperate acts."

Nimmo's daughter, Invercargill woman Melissa Hillman said she found it particularly creepy that the scammer used her father's name. "It made it really personal. It was horrific and scary," she said.

"The police said it was possible that because he's got his name and number on his work truck, they may have got the phone number and the name from that to make it look like they know where he lives."

The scammer warned Nimmo not to involve the police, so of course, he went straight to the police.

Nimmo said the policeman at the front desk told him to reply to the scammer asking "where and when" to drop the money.

"So I did. I typed it in, and there was a whole list of things that came back."

"The policeman said this was going on up and down the country ... perhaps the scammers are thinking if they spread the net widely, maybe something will come in," Nimmo said.

"But we went home with some confidence that the police were on top of it. I took some extra precautions at home."

Nimmo thought about sleeping with a gun next to him, but he decided against it.

"I've never hurt a man in my life and I still don't want to now."

HOW COMMON ARE SCAMS?

Police have sent out three scam alerts in the past two days: one about an automated call in a Chinese accent claiming to be from German logistics company DHL; another one in the South Island, voiced in a Kiwi accent, claiming to be from Inland Revenue; and another one in the Auckland area, with an automated voice claiming to be from the police and threatening people with arrest if they did not pay the money they owed Inland Revenue.

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On Friday, police said the scam targeting the Auckland area was stopped by scam minoring group Vocus Group, after more than 2400 calls were made to New Zealand phones.

ARE THERE SCAM HOTSPOTS?

A police spokesperson said scammers constantly adapted and found new ways to target people all over the country. "Scams affect people nationwide," she said.

"​Anyone who believes they are a victim of any crime, in person or online, should report the matter to their local police."

Detective sergeant Damian Rapira-Davies warned people to exercise caution with suspicious phone calls.

"These scammers are persistent and may try again using a different number or method, so if you receive a call and something doesn't seem right, hang up," he said.

"You can always call a government agency, bank or organisation back using the number on their official website. We recommend people look after their personal details in the same way they would their wallet and personal possessions."

WHAT TO DO?

Senior sergeant Charles Ip said if people received any suspicious calls, police advised the following:

• Hang up immediately.
• If it doesn't seem right, be cautious, double-check details.
• Look after your personal details in the same way you would your wallet and other possessions. Your personal details are very valuable to scammers, they will use your details to take out loans or run up debts if they can.
• Be aware of common scams. For example, banks, Immigration New Zealand or Inland Revenue never email, call or text customers to ask for money to be sent using money transfer services. If you receive a request like that, it's a scam.
• Don't trust anyone who calls you and asks for your financial related information, such as your account details and password. Simply hang up, call them on their published contact 0800 number or arrange a meeting at the relevant agency branch.
• If you have been targeted by a scam, report it immediately by visiting Consumer Protection's Scamwatch website.

Online safety organisation Netsafe was approached for comment on the extent of scam calls in New Zealand on Thursday and Friday, but were unavailable to comment.

 - Stuff