A $25,000 fraud has highlighted the need for New Zealanders to take a closer look at their online shopping habits, Post a Note general manager Nathan Weathington says.
A retired Whangaparoa couple lost $25,000 in a fraudulent car purchase on the online classified website.
But postanote.co.nz's general manager says the case highlights the need for an attitude change in the way New Zealanders buy goods online.
''These guys are sharks and they are going to smell that blood and come after these guys who are naive to how the internet works,'' Mr Weathington said.
''You should interact with the internet how you would a bulletin board back in the day.
''No-one should be comfortable with transferring money to someone they have never met for an item they have never seen.''
The couple paid $24,900 over the internet for a vehicle that they saw listed on postanote.co.nz, a website owned by Allied Press.
Police confirmed they were investigating the matter, but the Otago Daily Times understands very few cases of online fraud result in compensation for the defrauded party.
The vehicle was listed by a seller claiming to be based in Dunedin.
Mr Weathington said the website's fraud-detection processes identified the seller and item as fraudulent and the matter was referred to police before the couple lost their money.
But the couple negotiated the transaction via private contact, which the company was unaware of.
People needed to make sure they had seen all goods they bought before money was exchanged, he said.
''We want all these interactions to be in person,'' he said.
''There should never, ever be money sent from bank to bank for goods you haven't seen.''
New Zealanders had become accustomed to a culture of exchanging cash online that other countries' residents would be sceptical of.
''They would make pennies on the dollar in America and Europe but they are coming here and taking people for thousands,'' he said.
''We want this idea to go much larger than us. We want it to go to all of New Zealand.
''There's so many people that get taken advantage of, particularly seniors - that's who I worry about.''
People should arrange to meet vendors to see the items they wished to buy and exchange cash in a safe and public location for all goods bought online.
Police said the inquiry was in its early stages and inquiries were ongoing.
