As the holiday season approaches, Australia Post has issued an urgent warning to Australians to remain vigilant against scams targeting online shoppers and sellers.
The festive period, with its surge in online transactions, provides fertile ground for fraudsters and con artists.
One common scam involves criminals posing as buyers on platforms like Facebook Marketplace. They often send links or QR codes through Messenger, directing victims to fake “Australia Post courier service” websites. These sites promise to process payments online and arrange courier collection, but in reality, they are designed to steal personal and financial information.
A Melbourne man recently reported being charged over $1,500 in a scam related to mail delivery, highlighting the increasing sophistication of these frauds.
Research by Australia Post indicates that more than 90% of Australians have received scam texts or calls, with nearly 75% reporting that scammers impersonated a shipping or parcel delivery service.
Adam Cartwright, Australia Post’s Chief Information Security Officer, advised customers to track parcels exclusively through the official Australia Post app and to ignore any messages requesting personal or payment details.
With scammers likely to increase their efforts in the weeks leading up to Christmas, Australia Post urges the public to exercise caution and verify all communications related to parcel deliveries.
