Delivery And Packages Most Commonly Reported Scam In Australia

Australia Post’s latest Scam Awareness survey has revealed that almost three quarters (73 per cent) of Aussies have received fake delivery or package scam messages, highlighting the need to track parcels through official apps and websites.

They have urged people to protect themselves as the scams continued to increase, becoming more sophisticated, frequent and increasingly harder to detect.

More than one quarter (27 per cent) admitted they had fallen victim to a scam, often resulting in a financial loss or identity theft.

Of these, a small number (5 per cent) reported forfeiting more than $20,000 to the scammers.

The most common scams Australians reported receiving included:

• Delivery and packages (73 per cent);

• Overdue tolls (49 per cent;

• Winning a prize, money or holiday (39 per cent);

• A purchase that wasn’t made (36 per cent);

• Banking matters (31 per cent);

• Telecommunications (26 per cent);

• Unpaid taxes (22 per cent); and

• Children losing their phones (8 per cent).

Over 80 per cent of Australians receive up to ten scam texts and calls every week.

Research suggests that 15 per cent of people were receiving 16 or more scam emails a week and about 4 per cent of people also reported receiving a similar number of fake texts and phone calls.

Australia Post has urged people to protect themselves as scams continue to increase and become more convincing.

More than half a(54 per cent) of those surveyed revealed they had initially believed a fake delivery message and pursued it before realising the content was fraudulent.

Australia Post’s Group Chief Executive and Managing Director, Paul Graham said Australians were losing billions of dollars to scams each year.

“Scam attempts are becoming more sophisticated, frequent and increasingly harder to detect and our latest research reveals that most of us have already been targeted,” Mr Graham said.

“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.”

Australia Post will never:

• Call, text or email you asking for personal or financial information, including password, credit card details or account information; or

• Call, text or email you to request payment.

Australia Posts’s new research follows the latest report from Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which revealed Australians lost $2.74 billion in 2023 and made over 601,000 scam reports, an 18.5 per cent increase on 2022.

ACCC’s top tips for protecting oneself against scams include:

• Download the official app and turn on notifications so you can be confident the message is real;

• Never click links in texts or emails.

• Don’t give money or personal information if you are unsure.

• Scammers will create a sense of urgency, such as telling you your parcel could not be delivered. Don’t rush to act.

• Act quickly if you think something feels wrong and immediately report it to your bank if you lose money.

Visit https://auspost.com.au/receiving/mypost or download a free MyPost account from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Visit https://auspost.com.au/about-us/about-our-site/online-security-scams-fraud/scam-alerts for more tips on how to navigate parcel and delivery scams.

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• Science & Technology