Scammers are targeting the internet trading website TradeMe by copying listed items and marketing them on different websites, duping one unsuspecting woman of $750.
Bex Sandys, of Christchurch, is warning people to be wary about sending money overseas, after her efforts to find a flat for her sister turned into a disaster.
"My whole mistake was being too trusting, I should have listened to my internal alarm bells," she said.
Finding a pet friendly, two-bedroom townhouse for her sister on the website www.gumtree.co.nz, Ms Sandys said she initially suspected nothing.
"I emailed the person and got an email straight back telling me the address."
Agreeing to rent the property, she was then asked to transfer the first month's rent and the bond via Western Union money transfer to Debra Simpson, of London.
Ms Sandys said after sending the money she "felt sick" when the keys did not arrive as promised.
Finding the real owner of the townhouse, she discovered it had been previously advertised on TradeMe, with the scammers stealing details from that listing.
"The police told me they had heard of similar things happening, but there was no chance of getting any money back."
With her sister left with no flat, and her mother, who put up the bond, out of pocket $750, Ms Sandys is warning others not to send money overseas to unknown people - a message supported by police.
New Zealand Police electronic crime laboratory national manager Maarten Kleintjes, of Wellington, said he was aware of similar scams, with people duplicating information on reputable sites such as TradeMe.
An Auckland man lost $6000 after twice sending money to scammers, who had copied an advertisement for a car which had been advertised on TradeMe.
After agreeing to a fixed price for the car and sending the money overseas, the man was told he had been trumped by a better offer and he promptly wired the difference to the scammers.
Money should only be sent overseas to family members, he said.
Without knowing the person or viewing the items on offer was just asking for trouble, he said.
The internet has opened up New Zealanders to more criminal activity and "people have to realise you just can't trust people over the internet".
TradeMe spokesman Mike O'Donnell said the case was an isolated one, and involved a scammer stealing listed information from the website.
The fact the owner was overseas, the poor level of English used in correspondence, and the request to use Western Union, which cannot be traced, should have been reason enough to stop the transaction, he said.
