Stats NZ and CERT NZ are warning New Zealanders to watch out for fake websites and social media accounts claiming to represent the official Census.
Census Day is tomorrow, 7 March, and people need to stay vigilant. Stats NZ has already spotted, and had removed, fake accounts trying to imitate the official Twitter channel.
“We know that scammers target large events, using the opportunity to harvest information and sometimes even defraud people out of money. But it’s not as scary as it seems and with a little bit of awareness the fakes can be avoided,” says CERT NZ Director Rob Pope.
“The Census is vitally important to the country, and it’s sad that some would try to disrupt it for criminal purposes,” says Pope. “So just take a moment to check the information you’re getting is from an official source.”
Stats NZ’s Deputy Government Statistician and Deputy Chief Executive Census and Collection Operations, Simon Mason, says Stats NZ will use only the official listed channels.
“You will not receive any unsolicited text messages or private messages on social media from the Census team,” says Mason.
“If you see a social media account that you suspect is fake, report it to CERT NZ immediately. The same applies if you receive an email, phone call, text message, or instant message from someone claiming to be from Census asking for financial details – these are all scams and should be reported to CERT NZ,” Mason says.
The official Census 2023 channels are:
- Website – https://www.census.govt.nz/
- Online census forms –https://online.census.govt.nz/
- Twitter – @2023Census
- Facebook – @2023Census
- Tiktok – @2023Census
- Reddit – u/2023Census
CERT NZ – New Zealand’s Computer Emergency Response Team, is working closely with Stats NZ to ensure that the Census is run smoothly and without disruption from cyber incidents.
