Yahoo Finance Australia Post customers warned over ‘hard-to-distinguish’ scam
Scammers are impersonating Australia Post and trying to trick Aussies.
If you’re waiting for a package to arrive, don’t get tricked by this Australia Post delivery scam.
Email security firm MailGuard is warning Aussies about the new scam claiming to be sent from Australia Post’s customer service team saying you have a package on hold.
“The email itself heavily uses Australia Post’s branding and, aside from a few grammatical errors in the text, it would be hard to distinguish it from a genuine email,” MailGuard said.
Also read: Most common scams targeting Aussies: ‘Relentless and sophisticated’
Also read: Serious scam warning as Aussies ‘lose life savings’
The message tells the customer they need to pay a $3 fee to get their package delivered. If they then click the link to pay, they are taken to a phishing site that is an “almost exact replica” of the real Australia Post tracking site.
The main red flag was the URL, MailGuard said, which was for the website “bestfunnyblog” rather than Australia Post.
“Although there are, again, a number of grammatical errors, they’re in fine print that would likely be glossed over by someone who’s keenly waiting on a package,” MailGuard said.
The recipient is then asked to verify their address and give their personal information, including their full name, phone number and credit card details to pay the “redelivery payment”.
Finally, they will be asked to enter a one-time code sent to their mobile. This is a way for cybercriminals to verify the authenticity of the credit card details and then steal them.
‘Be aware’
Australia Post is encouraging Aussie customers to watch out for suspicious messages.
“Australia Post will never contact anyone via SMS or email asking for personal or financial information or payments,” an Australia Post spokesperson told Yahoo Finance.
“We’re seeing a greater public awareness of scams and cybersecurity, however we encourage customers to be aware of how to spot a scam, including looking for a non-Australia Post web address and unusual sense of urgency.”
Customers who receive suspicious text or email messages are encouraged to report it to scams@auspost.com.au and then delete it immediately.
Customers can also contact 13POST for help and visit the Australia Post website for more information on current scams.
Follow Yahoo Finance on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe to our free daily newsletter.
