Of the $150 I got scammed out of, the bank has recovered $19.78 for me.
On one hand I'm surprised there's anything. On the other I wonder how the criminals are getting away with it when it's linked to known bank accounts and names. Surely there are repercussions?
I wasn't like I left cash in an anonymous envelope.
Weird.
In 2025 Police introduced minimum dollar amounts, below which they won't investigate crimes.
RNZ reports these as:
General theft $200
Petrol drive off $150
Shoplifting $500
Fraud (paywave, online, scam etc) $1000
All other fraud $500
Of course thieves know this too, so as long as they keep their online scams below the $1,000 threshold, they can be confident they won't be investigated.
As Police policy it stinks. So much for National being "tough on crime". This misguided policy actually encourages petty fraud.
@BobLefridge What. TIL.
They know the scammers are doing it to lots of people right??
I'm certain they do. In some stations it's been a long-standing policy for years.
I used to be a member of a group called ScamBusters which spotted TradeMe scams and helped fraud victims. In the early 2010s we learned that Auckland Central station was no longer accepting reports of any TradeMe scams under $350.
Small scammers go on to become bigger scammers, and why not? It's free money with zero risk. And from the Police perspective, the millions of dollars lost never appear on any official crime stats.
Deliberately turning a blind eye to crime is such a dumb way to police a country.
🌱 Alyssa 🏳️🌈
Bob LeFridge 
