The fake winning tickets arrive in envelopes similar to these ones, which were widely distributed in a 2019 mail scam. Photo: Supplied
Postal workers have uncovered a mail scam originating in Malaysia that appears identical to previous rackets, which have conned New Zealanders out of millions of dollars.
Postal Workers Union co-president, John Maynard, said the scam letter instructs "winners" to claim their six-figure prize by sending more than $5000 to an international bank account to "facilitate the transaction".
"The scam mail is easily identified - a white envelope with colourful Malaysian stamps with the address being printed with the family name first," Maynard said.
"This year, it's being sent by registered mail, so people have to sign for it, which makes it seem legitimate.
"However, when one recipient opened it in front of the postal worker, they both immediately identified it as a scam."
The police said similar mail frauds, in 2013, 2016 and 2019, fleeced New Zealanders of millions of dollars.
"There were at least 55 people caught out in 2013, including a retired police officer and a chartered accountant. But probably there are many more who never reported it to the police."
Maynard, who received a scam letter himself in 2019, actually visited the company's address in Kuala Lumpur to find an empty section, and then tracked it to the Malaysian Government's Pension Fund building, which the fraudsters were using as a front.
Following his complaint to police there about the company's activities, the fraud squad began an investigation.
Maynard said the union has alerted New Zealand Post to the latest fraud and it has undertaken to seize and destroy any scam mail arriving at the border.
"However, it's our understanding that many of these letters have already been delivered in the last few weeks, so we need to warn the public to watch out for them."
