Two New Zealand airports have flagged a supposed "$3 luggage sale" as a scam, cautioning travellers about misleading ads circulating on Facebook.
Ads appearing under the Christchurch and Queenstown airport names claim that due to overstuffed airport lockers, lost luggage is up for grabs at a mere $3.
Images of stacks of luggage with a yellow sale sign displaying an Air New Zealand logo are doing the rounds via multiple fake accounts.
The incentive to purchase comes from a lucky dip-like mystery as to what you may receive inside the abandoned luggage.
After seeing them myself, I have to admit they look pretty real but trust me, they're not!
Both Christchurch and Queenstown have issued statements on the con saying they would never sell bags that belong to somebody else regardless of how long they’ve been around.
“Christchurch Airport will never sell lost luggage, and we would never request payment from you on social media,” the official page wrote in a statement.
“Scammers are really good at creating fake social media accounts, websites and emails that are often hard to tell from the real thing,” Queenstown Airport echoed. “Please report these pages when you see them.”
Having seen these fake adverts, admittedly they do look legit.
It looks too good to be true and that’s because it is.
Anyone who attempted to purchase a bag is urged to seek advice from MBIE’s Scamwatch.
