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New Zealand agent claims Facebook page was hacked

By Staff writer
12 February 2020 | 5 minute read
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A New Zealand agent has contacted police after racist comments were posted on her Facebook page by a hacker.

In a post on the South Auckland Buy and Sell Facebook group, the hacker claiming to be a property manager offered a house for rent at $530 a week, with the words “No Indians, no Māoris, no n******” in the advertisement.

In replies to the post, the property manager was portrayed to have said: “We don’t want people who can’t pay rent on time.”

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The agency’s principal told the NZ Herald the property manager’s Facebook was hacked and that they had reported it to police and Netsafe.

“We are pretty disappointed that someone has done this. Anyone with half a brain would look at the ad and say, ‘If you look at that sort of comment on Facebook, it’s just very poor taste’,” the agency’s principal said.

Police confirmed they received the complaint, and Inspector Dave Glossop said the property manager had received several online threats since the comments were made, which has caused distress.

“Police are following up this matter with the individual concerned, and we also want to warn the public that making online threats could be considered a criminal offence which may result in prosecution.”

The agency at the centre of the hacking went to Facebook to address the matter.

“It would seem that someone has created a bogus Facebook page for one of our employees... and they have used this as a means to send this post. We do not condone such behaviour in our office or of our employees, nor do we subscribe to any type or form of racism that was in the wording of the post.

“We sincerely apologise to anyone that may have been offended by this, and we would appreciate everyone’s understanding as we try and get to the bottom of this.”

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