Victim support Stories

Kiwi Stories

Victim support stories

Dunedin man loses $500,000 in 18-year romance scam

A Dunedin man was deceived out of more than NZD $525,000 over 18 years by an Auckland woman posing as an Australian police recruit.

By RNZ • 5 min read • Today

Emergency services

Steam train operator 'shocked and devastated' after death at station

Passengers were left traumatised after a person died at Te Awamutu station on Sunday evening, prompting a police investigation.

By RNZ • 2 min read • Today

Emergency services

Person dies after 'tragic' train incident in Te Awamutu

Police are investigating after a person died at Te Awamutu railway station, prompting a review of the heritage rail incident.

By RNZ • 4 min read • Today

Risk & Compliance

Send your troops out well equipped and well trained

A worker's severe burn injuries have prompted WorkSafe's first pre-charge undertaking, forcing sector-wide safety measures across the electrical industry.

By Staff Writer • 3 min read • Sun, 24th May 2026

Data Protection

'One part terrified, one part really angry' - Assault victim's anger over Manage My Health hack

A sexual assault survivor says she feels re‑victimised and furious after the Manage My Health hack and US$60,000 ransom demand.

By Lauren Crimp • 3 min read • Thu, 8th Jan 2026

Global Stories

Victim support stories

Data Privacy

Worried someone may film you with smart glasses?

Cheap smart glasses are raising privacy fears as experts warn they could make covert filming easier in public and private spaces alike.

By RNZ • 7 min read • This month

Open source

The Yahoo Boys: From prince inheritance emails to dating site scams

F-Secure's Laura Kankaala explains how the Yahoo Boys scam culture has evolved from advance-fee emails into sextortion and romance fraud.

By Jake MacAndrew • 4 min read • Tue, 14th Jul 2026

Data Protection

Childlight warns of rising online sexual abuse of children

A new report says one in four children are exposed to unwanted sexual contact online, with girls facing the highest risk before 18.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Thu, 21st May 2026

Data Protection

Generative AI fuels alarming surge in intimate image abuse

Generative AI is fuelling a sharp rise in intimate image abuse, outpacing weak platform responses and patchy global legal protections.

By Theodora Skeadas • 4 min read • Tue, 3rd Mar 2026

Phishing

AI turns romance scams into industrial-scale fraud

AI is turning romance scams into industrial-scale fraud, with deepfakes and chatbots driving billions in losses, Tenable warns.

By Mark Tarre • 5 min read • Wed, 11th Feb 2026

Stories from Other Regions

Victim support stories

Data Protection

Safeguarding, not victim-blaming: why fraud prevention needs a fundamental mindset shift

Victims are being left to fend for themselves as fraud becomes industrialised, with many still blaming themselves after scams.

By Alice Taylor • 3 min read • This month

Data Protection

Starling launches AI scam checker for five million

Customers can now quiz Starling's app before sending money, as UK fraud losses climb and romance scams hit savers hardest.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Thu, 25th Jun 2026

Data Protection

AI scams erode trust in online identity, Malwarebytes warns

One in three daily AI users say explicit images of people they know are acceptable, as confidence in online evidence and scams worsens.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Tue, 16th Jun 2026

Phishing

Romance scams evolve into emotionally engineered attacks

Victims in the UK lost GBP £106 million last year as fraudsters use AI, private messaging and emotional pressure to extract cash.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Mon, 1st Jun 2026

Data Protection

Cyber centre Scotland delivers £3 million support boost

Charities, small firms and fraud victims across Scotland got more than GBP £3 million in cyber support as the centre reinvested profits.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Sat, 30th May 2026

Ransomware

Cyber crime surges faster than police staffing in England

Businesses and victims face longer waits as fraud and computer misuse offences have outpaced specialist police staffing by 57 percentage points since 2020.

By Catherine Knowles • 4 min read • Wed, 1st Apr 2026