Most people don’t think a scam will happen to them. But, unfortunately, scams happen to thousands of New Zealanders every year and are getting more sophisticated.
At AMI we’re serious about protecting your privacy and handle your personal information with care. But it’s also important you stay aware and report suspicious activity as soon as you spot it.
Sometimes we contact you by text message. We make sure our text messages:
Tip
Never click on links in text messages - even if the message says there’s a problem, requests payment, or offers a refund. Scams usually try to make you feel like you need to act quickly.
When we send you an update by email, it’ll include your policy, customer, claim or quote number and our contact information to make it easy for you to reach out to us.
We never send emails from generic email platforms such as Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo.
Our emails are always sent from:
Remember - always take the time to assess if an email looks suspicious before clicking on a link. If you’ve received an email that appears to be from AMI asking you to click on a link to update your policy details or view a policy document, do not click on the link.
Tip
If an email has lots of spelling and grammar mistakes or unusual formatting, it’s probably a scam. But with generative AI cybercriminals are now able to create convincing emails in any language. If an email is unexpected, seems strange and wants you to urgently do something, treat it as suspicious. Check it’s real by contacting the sender through the options provided on their official website.
Sometimes, scammers pretend to be from a business you trust, like your power provider or insurer, offering refunds and asking for bank account details to process payments. Never give out your banking information over text or email. AMI will never ask you to disclose that sort of personal information over text or email.
If we've recently contacted you about a refund, you can call us on 0800 100 200 or use our online refund form to safely provide your details. You’ll need your customer number and reference number as it appears on your communication to proceed securely.
Tip
If you’ve been offered a refund, it’s always best to check it’s real by directly calling the business using contact details from their official website.
Identity theft is when someone gets hold of your personal information and pretends to be you to scam a businesses. It’s important to keep track of your personal details, like what insurance policies you have, so we can ensure it’s really you.
Ways to help protect yourself against identity theft
If you suspect identity theft
If you think there’s been unauthorised changes to your information, call us immediately 0800 100 200. We’re here to help.
You should also:
Tip
Watch out for fake brokers, also known as ghost brokers. They pretend to be insurance agents to sell you fake insurance policies. They often offer very low premiums and push you to decide quickly without enough time to review the terms.
Remember, AMI does not sell insurance through brokers.
If you suspect you’ve been scammed, report it via the NetSafe website straight away. NetSafe will get back to you with advice and may also pass your report to another organisation, like the Police, your bank, or Consumer Protection.
For text scams, you can forward these directly to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) on 7726.
If you believe the scammer was impersonating AMI, report it to us as soon as you’ve notified NetSafe or the DIA. This will help us to warn other customers and prevent further harm.
Other resources to stay safe from scams
