Christmas is just a month away, and while it’s a season of giving, it’s also a time when scammers are on the move.
One particular scam that has been on the rise involve people pretending to be interested buyers on Facebook Marketplace or other public groups, where they will send links or QR codes via Messenger that links to fake “Australia Post courier service” websites.
The sites claim that payment needs to be made before the courier collects the item, but the true purpose of these sites is to steal your information.
Australia Post found that more than 90 per cent of Australians had received a scam text or call, and nearly 75 per cent reported being targeted by scammers impersonating a shipping or parcel delivery service.
“As the pre-Christmas sales ramp up and more Aussies are expecting deliveries, scammers are exploiting that anticipation and urgency to trick people into clicking fake links or handing over personal information,” Australia Post chief information security officer Adam Cartwright said.
The national courier also warned against a new wave of sophisticated scams targeting Australians ahead of Christmas, including one called “Darcula”.
This global operation lets criminals rent special software that helps them send fake delivery messages pretending to be from trusted companies, because these messages are sent through secure apps like iMessage or RCS rather than regular text, they can slip past normal security checks, making them harder to spot and block.
Cartwright advised customers to only track parcels through the official AusPost app or website and to ignore any messages requesting personal information.
“If you receive a message asking for personal or payment details, you can be confident it’s not from us. In fact, the safest way to track your item is through the official AusPost app.”
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