Anglican Financial Care Logo
Login

How exposed are your details online?

A simple check worth doing.

Caring for our members includes paying attention to the things that affect everyday life, and staying safe online is one of them. Most of us have signed up to dozens of websites, shops and apps over the years. Every so often, one of those organisations has its data compromised, and our email addresses and other personal details can end up with people who shouldn’t have them.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has a free tool that helps you find out whether this has happened to you, and we thought it was worth sharing.

Checking your email address

The tool is called How exposed am I? and you can find it at howexposedami.co.nz. Simply enter your email address, and it shows whether that address has appeared in any known data breaches, what type of information was involved (such as passwords, phone numbers or dates of birth) and which breaches it was found in.

According to the NCSC, more than 4.3 million New Zealand account details have been exposed. So, if your email address shows up, you’re far from alone. It doesn’t necessarily mean someone has got into your accounts. It means some of your information is out there, and a few simple steps can help protect you.

If your details show up

The NCSC recommends three things:

  • Change your password straight away, starting with any accounts linked to the breach.
  • Use a long, strong password that’s different for every account. A phrase made up of four or more random words is easier to remember and harder to guess than a single word with a few numbers on the end.
  • Turn on two-step verification (also called multi-factor authentication or 2FA) wherever you can. Then, even if someone has your password, they’d also need a code sent to your phone to get in.

If you’re not sure where to start, begin with your email account. Password reset links are sent there, so it’s often the key to all your other accounts. A password manager can also help. It remembers your passwords for you, so you only need to remember one.

What this means for your KiwiSaver account

Scammers often use exposed details to make their messages look genuine. A call or email that uses your name, knows which scheme you belong to, or mentions something recent can be surprisingly convincing.

Be wary of:

  • unexpected contact about your KiwiSaver account, particularly if you’re asked to confirm personal details
  • pressure to act quickly or to keep things to yourself
  • offers to help you access your savings early or move to a different scheme
  • links in emails or texts asking you to log in.

Christian KiwiSaver Scheme will never ask you for your password, PIN or verification code by email, text or phone. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t reply or click any links. Contact us directly through our website at https://angfincare.nz/contact-us/ and we’ll help you check.

Looking out for each other

This is something we can all help with. Think about who in your life might be more at risk or less confident online – older parents and grandparents, young people setting up their first accounts, or people in your community. Sharing the tool with them, or sitting down and going through it together, is a practical way to care for the people around you. It only takes a few minutes.

Where to get help

If you think you’ve been scammed or your details have been misused:

Looking after our finances, and each other, now includes looking after ourselves online. A quick check today is a good place to start.

📩 Christian KiwiSaver Scheme, The Retire Fund, and The New Zealand Anglican Church Pension Fund are managed and issued by The New Zealand Anglican Church Pension Board (trading as Anglican Financial Care). The Product Disclosure Statements can be found here: https://angfincare.nz/news-and-knowhow/forms-and-documents/

Anglican Financial Care Logo
Login