Scam – fraudulent emails and purchase orders

3 November 2025

There is a scam targeting suppliers to universities in New Zealand and globally. We value our relationships with our suppliers, and so have prepared the following information to help raise awareness, and limit instances of our suppliers becoming a victim of this scam.

In general, the scam involves requests for product quotations and may lead to subsequent purchase orders that purport to originate from the University of Auckland, but are in fact fraudulent.

This scam typically occurs in waves. Activity increases for a period of time, before dropping off and then picking up again.

Note

The University only issues purchase orders to new suppliers after specific information has been requested and supplied. Those approved will receive confirmation from our Shared Transaction Centre – if uncertain, refer to What to do if you suspect fraudulent activity.

Our email address domain is auckland.ac.nz

This means that valid University of Auckland email addresses will always end in ...@auckland.ac.nz

If you are asked via a form on your website to respond to an email/receive an email with a domain that is even slightly different, it means that it is not from the University of Auckland.

Email applications tend to show a 'display name' in the sender field, which can be set up to look like a name or an email address. To see the actual email address, click on it.

1. A supplier will receive an email from the fraudster. The email uses the name of a genuine employee, but an imitation e-mail address.
2. The fraudster will request a quotation for specific item/s of equipment or goods, often high value, and advise extended payment terms, to give the fraudster more time to complete the scam.
3. Once a quotation has been provided, a purchase order is emailed to the supplier. It does not resemble an authentic University of Auckland purchase order (PO) and includes the PO number UNOA108149.
4. The PO typically instructs delivery to an address that is affiliated with the University, with the supporting email advising ‘SINGLE SHIPMENT – NO PARTIAL SHIPPING’ and asks the supplier to confirm the shipping date.
5. Shortly thereafter, the fraudster informs the supplier that due to ‘renovation works,’ at the original delivery location, a new delivery address will be forwarded to the supplier.
6. The new delivery address is usually a third-party logistics/freight forwarding business, not affiliated with the University. 
7. The University has been advised that after the goods are shipped, they will most likely be collected from the third-party logistics centre by ‘mules’, who forward the goods on overseas.  

Email the University’s Shared Transaction Centre using the address stc@auckland.ac.nz to verify the validity of any request or purchase order. Please ensure you include any emails and documents you have received that relate to the enquiry.

The Shared Transaction Centre will respond to your email as soon as possible to confirm the validity of the request.