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Spam is the use of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited messages, especially advertising. While the most widely recognized form of spam is email spam, mobile phone messages or TXT, and unsolicited fax messages, are also forms of spam.

Find out how to identify and report spam messages in New Zealand.

TXT Spam

The Department of Internal Affairs is responsible for investigating complaints about TXT Spam.

Any commercial message sent to you by TXT message, without your permission, or without an unsubscribe option, can be classified as TXT spam.

Step one: Forward TXT spam to 7726

Forward the offending TXT message from your phone free of charge to the short code: SPAM (7726)

You will receive a TXT response from the Department of Internal Affairs, asking you to complete your report.

Step two: Reply to TXT message and include the spammer's phone number

Please reply to the message you receive from the Department of Internal Affairs with the phone number the TXT spam message originated from.

The TXT message will contain a hyperlink to the mobi site: http://7726.govt.nz

The mobi site tells you what happens to your complaint and contains the privacy policy regarding TXT spam complaints.

For more information please see the Department of Internal Affairs website:

www.dia.govt.nz/Spam-Complain-About-TXT-Spam

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Email Spam

The Department of Internal Affairs is responsible for investigating complaints about unsolicited commercial electronic messages, commonly referred to as spam. If you want to report email spam there are two easy options. You can either fill out an online form or forward the spam email directly to complaint@spam.govt.nz.

Both options should take less than 5 minutes so choose the one that best suits you, based on the criteria below:

Use online form

  • Recommended for PC users
  • Don't use if email has attachments
  • Provides the most comprehensive information for investigation

Email the spam

  • Recommended for tablet and phone users
  • Use if email has attachments
  • Useful for multiple emails

Remember - Never open an attachment or follow a link in an email from an unknown or untrusted sender!

For more information and to find the online form please see the Department of Internal Affairs website:

www.reportspam.co.nz

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Fax Spam

The Department of Internal Affairs is responsible for investigating complaints about fax spam. If you want to report fax spam you will need to complete a complaints form and either email or post it along with a copy of the fax spam message you received.

What is fax spam?

An amendment to the schedule of the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007 meant commercial facsimiles are considered 'electronic messages' for the purposes of the Act.

Businesses using fax technology as a means of marketing and promoting their goods and services need to comply with the consent and unsubscribe provisions contained within the Act:

The sender must be able to prove consent existed for the fax to be sent to the recipient.

The sender must also provide the recipient with a free method of unsubscribing via the same mode of communication. The unsubscribe facility must be clearly presented and easy to use. It's also best business practice to provide the recipient with an alternative method of unsubscribing (i.e. phone or email address).

Faxes must also contain accurate sender information which clearly identifies the sender of the message and how they can be contacted.

For more information or to make a complaint about fax spam, please see the Department of Internal Affairs website:

www.dia.govt.nz/Spam-Complain-About-Fax-Spam
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Last Modified On Wednesday, 24 January 2018