Articles tagged with Fraud

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New Zealand Strengthens Serious Fraud Office Powers to Combat Rising Fraud

01 Sep 2026 | 1 week ago | 163 views

New legislation granting the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) enhanced powers to combat fraud has passed its final reading in Parliament, addressing challenges in obtaining digital evidence and managing investigations. The Bill allows the SFO to obtain all necessary electronic evidence, apply for search warrants orally, and control search sites to prevent interference, while also updating evidence admissibility rules. This aims to strengthen law enforcement’s ability to tackle increasing and complex fraud cases, protecting New Zealanders from significant financial losses and white-collar crime.

Tags: Serious Fraud Office Paul Goldsmith Mark Mitchell New Zealand fraud legislation law enforcement Evidence Act 2006 Search and Surveillance Act 2012

New Zealand Empowers Serious Fraud Office with Stronger Legal Powers to Fight Fraud

01 Sep 2026 | 1 week ago | 140 views

New legislation granting the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) enhanced powers has passed Parliament to better combat the growing and complex issue of fraud in New Zealand, which causes significant financial losses and harm. The new law allows the SFO to obtain digital evidence more efficiently, apply for search warrants orally, manage search sites independently, and clarifies evidence admissibility and police support during investigations. These changes aim to close legal gaps, reduce red tape, and strengthen law enforcement’s ability to protect New Zealanders from white-collar crime.

Tags: Serious Fraud Office Paul Goldsmith Mark Mitchell New Zealand fraud legislation law enforcement Evidence Act 2006 Search and Surveillance Act 2012

Kiwi Businesses Boost Productivity with $800M Gains from eInvoicing Adoption

07 Jul 2026 | 2 months ago | 458 views

Kiwi businesses are projected to gain up to $800 million annually in productivity through full eInvoicing adoption, which has more than doubled in uptake recently, enabling faster payments and reduced paperwork. The government leads by example with prompt payments, achieving over 95% of invoices paid within 10 working days, and will require large businesses to send eInvoices to government agencies from January 2027. This initiative aims to improve cashflow, cut administrative costs, reduce invoice fraud, and create a more efficient business environment in New Zealand.

Tags: eInvoicing productivity gains Kiwi businesses Cameron Brewer NZIER Small Business Manufacturing Minister government payments invoice fraud cloud accounting

New Zealand Boosts Serious Fraud Office Powers to Tackle Rising Fraud Crimes

30 Apr 2026 | 4 months ago | 786 views

Legislation granting the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) enhanced powers to combat fraud has passed its first reading in Parliament, addressing challenges in obtaining digital evidence, applying for warrants, and managing search sites. The Bill aims to modernize law enforcement tools to better tackle increasing and complex fraud cases, ensuring no legal hurdles hinder investigations and protecting New Zealanders from financial harm. Additionally, it updates evidence admissibility standards and clarifies police powers when assisting the SFO in executing warrants.

Tags: Serious Fraud Office Paul Goldsmith Mark Mitchell New Zealand fraud legislation law enforcement Evidence Act 2006 Search and Surveillance Act 2012

NZ Customs Minister Casey Costello to Attend Global Fraud Summit in Europe

13 Mar 2026 | 6 months ago | 1011 views

Customs and Associate Police Minister Casey Costello will attend the Global Fraud Summit in Vienna to address the growing issue of fraud, which is a prevalent crime in New Zealand linked to international organized crime and money laundering. The summit, hosted by INTERPOL and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, emphasizes the need for international cooperation to combat transnational fraud. After the summit, Minister Costello will visit Geneva and London for meetings related to her Customs, Police, and Health responsibilities.

Tags: Casey Costello New Zealand INTERPOL UN Office on Drugs and Crime Global Fraud Summit London Vienna United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Red Cross Red Crescent

Brett Donald Tantrum Appointed High Court Judge in Auckland Effective March 2026

19 Feb 2026 | 6 months ago | 973 views

Attorney-General Judith Collins announced the appointment of Brett Donald Tantrum, an experienced Auckland barrister and solicitor, as a High Court Judge effective 30 March 2026. Justice Tantrum has extensive expertise in criminal law, including prosecuting serious offences such as homicide, organised crime, and sexual violence, and has served as a Principal Crown Prosecutor since 2017. His career includes roles at Meredith Connell, a professional exchange in Sydney, and involvement in criminal appeals and public law matters.

Tags: Judith Collins Brett Donald Tantrum Auckland University of Auckland Bell Gully Meredith Connell Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Crown Law Serious Fraud Office High Court Judge

NZ Banks Gain Freedom to Share Fraud Data, Cutting Red Tape and Boosting Security

19 Nov 2025 | 9 months ago | 954 views

Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has introduced a ministerial exemption to the AML/CFT Act 2009, allowing banks to share anti-money laundering information to better prevent fraud and scams. This reduction in red tape enables banks to act faster and collaborate more effectively to freeze scam transfers before funds are lost overseas. The government aims to create more agile regulatory settings by freeing businesses from excessive compliance burdens while targeting actual financial criminals through wider AML/CFT reforms.

Tags: Nicole McKee Associate Justice Minister New Zealand fraud prevention scams banks regulatory reform financial crime

New Zealand Introduces Safe Harbour Laws to Combat Online Scams Faster

17 Nov 2025 | 9 months ago | 978 views

The New Zealand Government is introducing safe harbour legal protections to enable banks, telecommunications providers, and digital platforms to act swiftly and confidently in blocking suspected online scams without fear of prosecution. These protections require reasonable grounds for suspicion, proportional action, and correction of any unintended disruption, supporting a prevention-first approach against scams that caused $265 million in losses last year. Complementing this, the New Zealand Anti Scam Alliance is developing a trusted flagger system and new fraud intelligence tools to identify and freeze suspicious accounts, enhancing cross-sector collaboration to combat evolving scam threats.

Tags: Scott Simpson New Zealand Anti Scam Alliance Payments NZ New Zealand Banking Association Commerce and Consumer Affairs safe harbour fraud intelligence tool mule accounts online scams trusted flagger system

New Zealand Bolsters Cybercrime Protection with Budapest Convention Passage

24 Jul 2025 | 1 year ago | 2202 views

New Zealand passes legislation to enhance protection against cybercrime, with 11% of citizens falling victim to online threats in 2024, resulting in significant emotional and financial harm. Joining the Budapest Convention will enable cooperation with other countries in criminal investigations and align domestic laws with international standards. Provisions in the Bill include new preservation directions, amendments to enhance mutual assistance in criminal matters, and updates to the Crimes Act to address cybercrime comprehensively.

Tags: New Zealanders cybercrime legislation Paul Goldsmith fraud National Cyber Security Centre Budapest Convention Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime law enforcement agencies criminal investigations

Government Launches Anti-Corruption Taskforce Pilot to Safeguard Public Funds

18 Jul 2025 | 1 year ago | 1834 views

A cross-agency Anti-Corruption Taskforce pilot led by the Serious Fraud Office, supported by NZ Police and the Public Service Commission, aims to combat corruption and fraud risks in the public sector. The taskforce seeks to enhance New Zealand's reputation as a transparent and trustworthy place to invest by strengthening fraud prevention and detection systems within participating agencies. By promoting ethical conduct, transparency, and accountability, the taskforce aligns with the Government's efforts to maintain public trust and integrity in institutions.

Tags: Government Public Sector Mark Mitchell Judith Collins Serious Fraud Office NZ Police Public Service Commission Corruption Fraud