Warning over delivery scam targeting Australia Post customers

People ordering some last minute Christmas gifts have been warned to watch out for a sinister scam targeting Australia Post customers.

People doing their last minute Christmas shopping online are being warned to watch out for a sneaky scam targeting Australia Post customers.

The scam works by sending customers a text message that appears to be from Australia Post, letting the receiver know there is an issue with their delivery.

They are then prompted to click a link that leads to a fake website with the Australia Post logo and urges the target to enter their personal and financial details.

Twitter user Mark Rhodes posted a picture of one of the scam text messages online as a warning to others.

“This is evil … this is definitely going to trick a bunch of people,” he wrote.

The scam is very believable. Picture: @mrhodes/Twitter

The thing that makes this particular ruse so convincing is that if you have previously been legitimately messaged by Australia Post, it will show up in the same text chain as these older messages.

Australia Post has warned customers to be wary of delivery scams this Christmas.

“Please note that Australia Post will never email or text message you asking for personal information, financial information or a payment,” the company’s website reads.

“If you are in doubt about the authenticity of an email, text message or phone call, please delete immediately or hang up.”

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) ScamWatch website has numerous posts warning people to look out for these types scams.

The link takes the customer to a fake Australia Post website. Picture: @mrhodes/Twitter

These types of scams are particularly common around Christmas time when more people are ordering packages, but ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said they can strike at any time.

“Scammers typically send emails (or text messages) pretending to be from Australia Post or FedEx, to try and trick you into believing you have an ‘undeliverable package’. In some cases, these emails may include your name and address and include legitimate-looking company information, complete with fake logos,” Ms Rickard said,

“The email may threaten to charge you a fee for holding your ‘undelivered item’, and will ask you to open an attachment, click a link or download a file to retrieve your parcel. If you follow these instructions, you will likely download a ransomware virus that locks your computer.”

Scammers may then demand payment to unlock the computer or could trick the victim into giving out their personal information.