Australia Post has issued a warning about fresh scam sweeping the nation

Australia Post has issued an urgent warning to their customers, as a new scam fuelled by advancing technology sweeps across the nation.

Australia Post has issued an urgent warning to customers as a fresh wave of scam messages and emails sweeps across the country.

Fraudulent messages impersonating Australia Post claim a parcel delivery was unsuccessful due to an invalid postcode, and requests the recipient to click a link to remedy the issue.

The link leads vulnerable customers to a page that appears similar to Australia Post’s website, and prompts them to provide personal details and information.

Australians are being urged to stay alert as a new wave of scam messages and emails impersonating Australia Post and preying on vulnerable customers sweeps the country.

The fraudulent messages claim a delivery failed due to an invalid postcode, luring recipients into clicking malicious links to hand over personal information.

This personal information can then be used by fraudsters to steal credentials, sensitive information or to trick individuals into sending money, Australia Post said.

The warning comes as new research from Australia Post revealed that nine in 10 Australians have received a scam text or call, and nearly three-quarters report being targeted by scams mimicking parcel delivery services.

The survey results from Australia Post also found that 58 per cent of respondents believed businesses were not doing enough to protect them and 85 per were more concerned about scams today than they were 12 months ago.

The ‘invalid postcode’ trick is the latest scam part of the ‘Darcula’ phishing-as-a-service operation.

The Darcula platform is described as a ‘cybercrime toolkit’, that allows scammers to spoof trusted brands to steal their customer’s data.

Available for purchase, the toolkit is particularly dangerous as it allows scammers to bypass telecommunications and network filters to send scams over iMessage and Rich Communication Services (RCS).

Australia Post is urging the public to stay vigilant and only trust official communications through the AusPost app.

“Scammers prey on busy lifestyles and the excitement and urgency in waiting for a package. The safest way to track your deliveries is directly through the official AusPost app,” Australia Post’s chief information security officer Adam Cartwright said.

This personal information can then be used by fraudsters to steal credentials, sensitive information or to trick individuals into sending money.

If you’re expecting a parcel, don’t click on suspicious links or respond to unexpected messages – always check the app first.”

The survey findings also revealed that some Australians feel more equipped to deal with scam attempts than others.

Over a third of Gen Z respondents – 36 per cent – said they were “very confident” in identifying scams, compared to just 10 per cent of Australians aged 80 and over, aka the Silent Generation.

Older generations, like Boomers, are more likely to report being only “somewhat confident”.

Australia Post reminds customers that they will never call, text or email asking for personal or financial information including password, credit card details or account information, or to request payment.

They advised that the AusPost app provides a safe alternative, offering a secure place to receive delivery updates, track parcels along their journey, and redirect parcels to alternative addresses including parcel lockers.

The app also provides in-app notifications for missed deliveries and parcel collection.

For more tips on how to navigate parcel and delivery scams visit the Australia Post website.

Originally published as Australia Post has issued a warning about fresh scam sweeping the nation