Superannuitants are being warned not to fall for a scam that claims they're in for a pre-Christmas bonus.
A hoax circulating online claims that people who are on NZ Super are to receive a "one-off December bonus" a few weeks before Christmas.
The payment is alleged to be $350 for single people and $560 for couples, as well as an extra $50 for people in Christchurch, Auckland, and Wellington - and $40 for people with disabilities.
The websites seem to be intended to funnel advertising and possibly collect identity details.
The Ministry of Social Development confirmed that the offer was not real.
"We are aware of fake information being targeted at MSD clients and older people about December bonuses, benefit increases, or changes to NZ Super," group general manager of client service delivery Graham Allpress said.
"We want to assure people these claims are not true. If you want up-to-date information on your benefit or NZ Super, check the Work and Income website or MyMSD.
"These posts and websites are created by dishonest actors for dishonest reasons, and are always best avoided."
'It's sad when it affects grandparents'
Financial adviser Rachelle Bland, of Cliffe Consulting, said she became aware of it when she had clients get in touch, excited about the possibility of extra money for Christmas.
She said it was disappointing that people were being targeted by the hoaxes.
"It's sad when it affects grandparents, people trying to make ends meet."
Meanwhile, BNZ said half of the country's small to medium businesses had responded to a scam attempt in the past year. For those that suffered an actual breach, the average loss was just over $5000.
BNZ head of fraud operations Margaret Miller said scammers would always find ways to exploit gaps.
"Business owners are alert to the danger, but they are also time-poor and juggling multiple priorities. The reality is that scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their tactics.
"Scammers know that breaking through technical security is difficult, so in many cases they're bypassing the technology entirely and targeting the person sitting at the keyboard.
"Business owners are generally doing well with technical defences like antivirus software and firewalls, but criminals are going around that, targeting the busy human at the desk who is clearing invoices or answering the phone."
