“We are assisting the NZ Police cybercrime team to investigate the matter,” Turgis said. It had also consulted with Government agency Cert NZ and the office of the Privacy Commissioner, and was following their recommendations, she said. “We will not be making any further public statements in relation to this.” A police spokesman said its Auckland City Fraud team was not immediately aware of receiving any complaints in relation to the matter. New Zealand authorities generally advise companies against paying ransoms to cyber criminals because it encourages future attacks. Staircase’s website says it has been providing retirement and financial strategies to thousands of New Zealanders since 2001, through the creation of long-term property investment portfolios.