Keep yourself safe online

Be aware of the most common types of scams and how to protect yourself.

Latest alerts

1 November 2024
Please stay vigilant, as we have become aware of scammers impersonating Milford and Milford staff. The scammers are offering fake Heartland Bank bonds and fake CBA bonds, please click below to find out more.

The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) lists the latest known scams here as well as how to report scams. Click here for the New Zealand Government’s official site on how to identify scams.

How do I know I’m making a payment to Milford?

The easiest and safest option when making a payment to Milford is to search the list of registered payees. Both Milford KiwiSaver Plan and Milford Investment Funds are registered payees with the major banks. Alternatively, you can use the bank account details found in your Client Portal or App.

In addition, New Zealand banks are introducing a Confirmation of Payee service. The new service will enable you to check if the account name and account number match before making a payment. The Confirmation of Payee service will reduce the risk of mistakenly paying the wrong person and can help you avoid scams. While the service provides an extra level of reassurance when making bank payments, you should remain vigilant as scammers are always looking for new ways to trick people into making payments.

Types of scams

Impersonating Milford on different platforms
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Emails

Emails from Milford will always come from domain @milfordasset.com or subdomains for example: @notify.milfordasset.com; @email.milfordasset.com. If the domain name looks dodgy – it probably is. Never click on a link within an email unless you are certain of the sender.

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Phone Calls

From time-to-time we contact our clients by phone during business hours, Monday through Friday 8am – 5pm. Milford staff will always clearly identify themselves. We do ask security questions to identify you correctly, but do not request secure information like passwords from you. If you doubt a call is legitimate, hang up and call us on 0800 662 345.

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Text messages

Be aware of phishing scams. If we text you, it will be to notify you of something – not to request information. Never click a link if the text is asking you to verify your identity or action something on your account. Delete the message immediately. We’ll never send you a text out of the blue and ask you to click a link.
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Website

Our official domain is www.milfordasset.com. We also use various sub division domains created as a part of our primary domain for different services. For example: portal.milfordasset.com (portal login); milfordlive.milfordasset.com (online events). Make sure you check the URL before signing in to your account.

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Social Media

We love connecting with our clients through our social media channels. Watch out that people set up fake accounts with names that are very similar. If an offer or giveaway sounds too good to be true – it probably is.

Milford’s official social media channels:

How to help your friend or family member

The Financial Markets Authority partner with Clinical Psychologist Nigel Latta to share practical steps you can take to help your friend or family member impacted by scams. Read more

How to report a scam or suspicious activity

If you think you might have been the victim of a scam, or you notice anything out of the ordinary with your Milford account, call us on 0800 662 345 during office hours so we can take the necessary actions.

Alternatively, you can email us details of the suspicious activity and we’ll get back to you once we have investigated the situation.

Stay vigilant at this busy time of year

We have become aware of an investment scam offering a fake Heartland Bank bond. The scammers are impersonating Milford and a genuine Milford staff member to sell these bonds.

As a reminder, before you invest any money, we recommend you use caution and do your research. The Financial Market Authority (FMA) website has guidance on how to spot a suspicious investment.

Key considerations:  

    • Is the offer too good to be true?
    • Is there urgency from the seller?
    • Always use the contact details on the companies’ website rather than those provided in an unsolicited letter, email or link from another website.

How to keep yourself safe

Key considerations: When investing your hard-earned savings, please be aware of the below:

    • If you are making a payment to Milford, both Milford KiwiSaver Plan and Milford Investment Funds are registered payees with the major banks.
    • Milford will never send you a text out of the blue and ask you to click a link, nor ask you for secure information like your password.

If you are ever concerned an email or call claiming to be from Milford is not legitimate - do not engage and contact us directly to confirm.

The Financial Market Authority (FMA) website also lists warnings on known investment scams. If you believe you have been targeted by an investment scammer, please report this to the FMA fma.govt.nz/scams.