Mobile phone users are being bombarded with scam texts informing them that they must click on a link to have a delivery redirected, according to 2degrees and Vodafone.
According to 2degrees spokesperson Andrea Brady, the scam was not unusual, but the volume of texts sent was "quite out of the ordinary."
Vodafone spokesperson Nicky Preston said her company's customers were also receiving an unusually high number of scam texts.
Some people's phones appeared to be sending the scam messages to contacts in their address book, which suggests the possibility of malware and could explain the scale of the problem.
Both companies were aware that Spark customers were being targeted as well.
Spark has been reached out to for comment.
According to Brady, the messages appeared to begin on Tuesday afternoon, and many customers had received multiple scam texts overnight.
People were warned not to click on the links in the texts by 2degrees and Vodafone.
The scam texts were sent from a "whole range of different numbers," which 2degrees was attempting to block, according to Brady.
People were warned not to click on the links in the texts by 2degrees and Vodafone.
The scam texts were sent from a "whole range of different numbers," which 2degrees was attempting to block, according to Brady.
Brady stated that one customer reported 14 different scam texts overnight.
Cert NZ, the government's cyber-security agency, was looking into the matter, she understood.
Cert NZ was contacted for comment.
Preston stated that Vodafone was attempting to shut down the websites that the scammers were directing people to visit.
Vodafone believed that similar problems had been reported by phone customers in other countries.
Brady assumed that scammers were taking advantage of the increased online shopping during the current Covid-19 restrictions.