A BNZ survey shows nearly a quarter of people clicked through to a "great deal" without checking if the link was legitimate. Photo: 123RF
Multi-tasking while responding to texts, emails or other notifications increases the risk of being scammed.
A survey by BNZ indicates New Zealanders were responding to notifications in a variety of awkward and distracting locations, from the bathroom to the boardroom.
The nationwide study found most New Zealanders had responded to an email, text or notification while doing something else, with a third responding in the bathroom, 41 percent in the middle of a face-to-face conversation, and 28 percent while in a meeting or webinar.
"And when we're rushed or distracted like this, we make mistakes," BNZ head of fraud operations Margaret Miller said.
Nearly a quarter clicked through to a "great deal" without checking if the link was legitimate, while one-in-five hit a text link before reading the message.
"Scammers prey on the fact that when we're rushed, distracted, or juggling multiple things we're more likely to click first and think later," Miller said.
Still, 78 percent recognised the risk they were taking when distracted, rushed, multi-tasking, stressed or on autopilot.
While 61 percent spotted a scam in the past year and avoided it, 12 percent were not as lucky.
Think twice tactics
BNZ head of design Donal Devlin said it was developing strategic design features that work with how people behave.
"While we all expect seamless digital experiences, we've learned that introducing small elements of friction at critical moments helps with focus and ultimately, keeps customers and their money safer," Devlin said.
"In practice, this means things like swapping button locations, adding brief pause notifications, or showing "pause and think" alerts to help customers stay focused when making higher risk transactions or actions in their accounts.
"It's about finding the right balance between convenience and security - adding just enough of a moment to think when the stakes are highest."
Tips for improving digital safety and security
- Pause before clicking - especially if you're doing something else at the same time
- Never click on links or attachments sent by someone you don't know or that seem out of character for someone you do know
- Keep your computer and phone security software up to date
- Contact your bank immediately if you think you've been scammed
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