Yahoo Finance Beware: New AusPost scam targeting Aussies
Scammers pretending to be Australia Post have launched a new campaign, tricking victims into believing they will receive a package and click a dangerous link.
One target in her 50s, Lily Layag, received the scam text early on Wednesday morning.
“Your delivery has been stopped at our depot. Please resolve the issue here,” the text reads, before directing to another website.
Layag nearly clicked the link before noticing a few red flags: the link directed to a website with a typo, ‘Auposts.com’, and the link description was also unusual, reading ‘Pay freight.’
"I texted a screenshot to one of my kids because I thought it was odd,” Layag told Yahoo Finance.
"My daughter told me it was a scam because of the link, 'Auposts.com' so I didn't click it. I wanted to head over to the local post office to report it.”
She’s now blocked the number.
This is far from the first scam using Australia Post as a cover: a similar scam in October 2019 told targets that they had a package “detained in terminal” while scammers targeted Christmas shoppers in December.
According to security service, Stay Smart Online, fake texts advising Australians that their parcels will not be delivered deceive “a large number of people” into sharing their personal details.
“We strongly advise people against clicking any links in such texts or making any payments, and that they delete the SMS. We remind people that Australia Post will never contact anyone via SMS asking for personal information, financial information or to make a payment,” an Australia Post spokesperson told Yahoo Finance.
“Our staff receive regular training and updates on the importance of vigilance in relation to scams and ways to help people if they have any concerns.”
Australians who have received a suspicious message purportedly from Australia Post should forward it to scams@auspost.com.au.
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