Westpac said it is now blocking more than $40 million annually in unwanted subscription payments, up from $25 million last year, as overseas websites continue to ensnare shoppers with hidden ongoing charges.

The bank's head of customer care operations, Peter Barnes, said the businesses involved often disclose terms in fine print but make them deliberately hard to find. "In our view, their money-making model is unethical," he said. Most customers discover the problem only when checking their statements, he added, with AI meal plans and training programmes among the common traps.

Barnes said the operators "move around very quickly and they bounce from jurisdiction to jurisdiction" and some fraudsters pose as New Zealand-based to appear trustworthy. He urged shoppers to monitor statements closely and watch for pressure to act quickly on discounts, RNZ business (NZ) reports.