Hon Brooke van Velden
Minister of Internal Affairs

Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] is working with technology companies to make it easier for New Zealanders to report text message scams.

“When mobile phone users select ‘report junk’ on scam texts the messages will soon be reported directly to the Department, allowing the Department and partner agencies such as the Police to quickly identify and respond to scams,” says Ms van Velden.

“Almost all New Zealanders will be familiar with receiving a scam text message and deleting it to avoid accidentally clicking on a malicious URL. This new feature will mean that by deleting a text and reporting it as junk the public are helping the Department to disrupt these scams and prevent them from reaching more New Zealanders.”

Text messages reported to the Department are shared with telecommunications companies and any weblinks in the texts are shared with internet service providers so they can be blocked.

The Department also uses the data to assist with its investigations into the people and organisations operating these scam systems. Operation Cargo, led by the Department in 2023, resulted in the seizure of over 4,000 items being used by scammers including over $35,000 worth of SIM cards and hardware.

“Phishing scams are unfortunately a common occurrence in New Zealand. Government collaboration with the private sector such as this is a good step towards minimising the impact scams can have on our communities.”

This function is now active for iPhone users with generation 14 and above, and will be extended to other Apple and Android mobile devices in 2025. The 7726 Report Spam Service remains in operation, and if you receive a scam text message, please report it free of charge by forwarding the message to 7726.

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