Delivery Scams on the Rise: Australia Post

Some phone scams claim to be from a financial services organization and ask you to update information—but don’t do it! This may be a phishing attack aimed at stealing your personal information. (BestForBest/Shutterstock)

Australia Post has conducted research that shows package and delivery scams are outstripping other types of scams, as Australians are increasingly duped into providing bank account numbers and personal details to scammers.

According to a survey, 73 percent of respondents said they had received emails and texts purportedly from Australia Post and other courier providers that were scams.

Over a quarter of those polled said they had been victims of scams that led to identity theft or financial loss, and five percent of people had lost over $20,000.

The poll also found that 95 percent of people receive between one and 16 fraudulent approaches each week.

Paul Graham, Australia Post’s Group Chief Executive and Managing Director, said scam attempts are becoming more sophisticated, frequent, and increasingly harder to detect.

“Australians are losing billions of dollars to scams each year. Our latest research reveals that most of us have already been targeted,” he said.

Phishing Texts and E-mails Capitalising on Boom in E-commerce

Phishing scams, which involve fraudulent attempts to obtain sensitive information by pretending to be a trustworthy entity, are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

These scams often occur through emails or text messages and aim to steal personal and financial information.

Fraudsters send e-mails from well-known institutions claiming suspicious activity on accounts, requiring verification through malicious links.

Australia Post CEO Paul Graham said people should use official apps to avoid delivery scams. (AAP Image/Joel Carrett)

Scammers are often now more technically versed, making their ruses more sophisticated and difficult to detect—54 percent of those surveyed said nearly handed over vital information before realising the scam.

The pandemic has fundamentally changed shopping habits, prompted by a rise in e-commerce and difficulties accessing retail environments.

As a result, the delivery of consumer items to workplaces or homes has grown exponentially. Australia Post recorded almost 100 million parcels being delivered in the six months to March 2024.

Aside from package scams, 49 percent of respondents reported receiving overdue toll notices, 39 percent received notice of winning a fake holiday, 22 percent got fake overdue taxes notices, and eight percent were warned about a child losing their phone.

How to Stay Safe from Scams

A report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) revealed that 601,000 scam reports were received, with Australians losing $2.74 billion in 2023.

Core tips for avoiding scammers include verifying the source of messages and avoiding suspicious looking links.

The advice from Australia Post is to track all deliveries through their app.

“With many people being bombarded with fake texts, emails, and calls the best way for customers to stay safe from scams is by using the free AusPost app, which tracks deliveries securely,” Paul Graham said.

Australia Post also emphasises that they will never call, text, or email asking for personal or financial information including passwords, credit card details, or account information.

If people find themselves compromised or suspicious of messages, they should contact their bank as soon as possible.