FMA Calls For Kiwis To Invest Smart And Stay Scam-Aware During World Investor Week

The Financial Markets Authority – Te Mana Tātai Hokohoko (FMA) is encouraging New Zealanders to build their resilience as investors and be increasingly alert to sophisticated investment scams and digital deception during World Investor Week 2026.

The FMA continuously receives reports of harms linked to social media and online investment activity. These range from sophisticated scams using AI-generated deepfakes and fake endorsements from well-known New Zealanders to high-profile pump-and-dump schemes.

For example, information from online investing platforms suggests New Zealand investors have lost approximately $25 million since June 2025 through a high-profile pump-and-dump style scheme the FMA has warned about.

Samantha McGuire, Manager Regulatory Services, says not everything presented as investment tips or advice is reliable, accurate or in your best interests.

“Being a resilient investor is about understanding what you are investing in, knowing the risks, having a plan that reflects your goals and circumstances and not being pushed into decisions based on short-term market movements, hype, misinformation, pressure from others or scams.”

Recent reports to the FMA highlight the significant financial and emotional harm these scams can cause.

• A victim lost $120,000 after following investment advice shared in a chat group. Despite appearing successful at first, they lost most of their money when the scheme collapsed.
• A victim lost $24,000 after following advice shared in a chat group. Despite trying to reduce their risk using stop-loss orders, they made significant losses when the investment collapsed.
• A victim invested a small amount after seeing an online advertisement. After seeing early gains, they invested more, eventually losing $80,000.
• A victim believed they were recovering money from a deceased relative’s investment account. Scammers convinced them to pay taxes and fees to access funds, resulting in the loss of $66,000.

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“If you’re feeling pressured to invest, being told to act quickly, or encouraged to trust information simply because it appears popular or comes from a familiar face, take a step back. Pause, verify the information and understand exactly what you’re investing in and who you are dealing with before parting with your money,” says Ms McGuire.

The FMA is supporting World Investor Week with an educational social media campaign that uses real world investment scenarios and warning signs to build investor resilience by asking, “Would you invest?” There is information about how to spot scams, identify deepfakes and report suspicious activity on the FMA website here - https://www.fma.govt.nz/library/campaigns/world-investor-week-2026/

About World Investor Week 2026

World Investor Week is a global campaign coordinated by the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) to raise awareness about the importance of investor education and protection. This year’s campaign runs from 5-11 October and focuses on three key themes: investor resilience, digital deception and scam awareness, alongside the fundamentals of investing and the needs of younger and next-generation investors.

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