Australia Post has issued two separate warnings this month about scammers targeting customers by posing as the postal service.
Scamwatch, which is run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), received 2,234 reports about "Australia Post delivery" phishing scams this year.
They equated to losses of more than $20,000.
These kinds of scams are around all year long, the ACCC says, but it does see an increase in reports during peak sales times.
Because many people are shopping online and expecting gifts and deliveries in the lead-up to Christmas, they can be more vulnerable to delivery scams.
What should I do if I think I've been sent a scam message?
Don't click on a link or open an attachment.
Don't rush to act. Scammers try to create a sense of urgency to trick you, so take your time to consider whether the message may be a scam.
Australia Post says it will never:
- Call, text or email you asking for personal or financial information including passwords, credit card details or account information
- Call, text or email you to request a payment
- Ask you to click on an email link to print off a label to redeem your package
If you're concerned you're a victim of identity theft, you can contact IDCARE, a not-for-profit charity that describes itself as Australia's national identity and cyber support service.
Scamwatch says some parcel delivery scams can also reference other delivery services, so keep in mind it's not only Australia Post customers being targeted.
Here are the two scams Australia Post is warning customers about:
'Redelivery' scams
This is when scammers send text messages telling people there's a package waiting for them, but they need to arrange for it to be re-delivered or update their delivery details.
Some messages contain threats that a package will be returned to the sender.
Here's a sample of some of those messages:
The links take people to a fake Australia Post website, prompting people to enter their personal information and payment details.
'Schedule delivery' scams
This is when scammers email people about a delivery that's either on hold, suspended or "still waiting for your instructions".
Recipients are prompted to click a link to reschedule the delivery.
Here are a few examples:
Just like the first lot of examples, the links in these dodgy emails take people to a website impersonating Australia Post's and it is designed to steal personal and financial details.
Scammers can make texts look like they came from official organisations
You might have a string of legitimate texts from delivery companies about deliveries — for example, Australia Post messages show up as being sent from AusPost in your smartphone.
The ACCC spokesperson says scammers have ways of making their dodgy texts appear in this chain.
"Scammers can make fake messages seem real by spoofing the phone number of the organisation they are impersonating, in this case Australia Post.
"They can make scam messages appear in the same SMS chain as other legitimate messages from Australia Post, making it difficult for consumers to identify the scam."
Here's an example of how that might look — you'll notice the first three messages are legitimate and are worded differently to the scam message:
How can you tell a scam message from a legitimate one?
Scamwatch says a message may be a scam message if:
- You can't confirm who it's from. Check the email address or phone number to see if the sender is authentic and check the Australia Post website to cross-reference contact details
- It has spelling and grammatical errors
- It has a malicious link. It's safer to go directly to a service provider's website by typing the URL directly into your web browser's address bar or using the organisation's secure online portal or app
- There's a sense of urgency. Scammers try to create a sense of urgency to encourage you to do something quickly. Don't rush — take time to consider and check whether a message is real
How do you report a scammer?
People are encouraged to report scams to the ACCC's Scamwatch, regardless of whether they've lost money or not.
Australia Post says people can forward suspected scam emails on to scams@auspost.com.au for the organisation to investigate.
You can report cybercrimes to police through the Australian Cyber Security Centre's online reporting portal.
The ACCC also recommends Lifeline for crisis support to help with emotional distress about scams and Beyond Blue for support for anxiety and depression.
