In 2022, Australia Post delivered 2.7 billion items, making it one of the biggest delivery services in the country. However, with the rise of online shopping and the resulting increased use of postal services for package delivery, Australia Post has become a popular target for scammers looking to impersonate the company in order to steal personal information or money from unsuspecting victims.
Today, MailGuard began blocking a new phishing email which purports to be from Australia Post’s Customer Service team and has the subject “Package AU289903100715 is 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.
The email warns the recipient that their package is on hold and that they need to pay a $3.00 fee by clicking the linked text in order for it to be delivered.
Here's what the email looks like:
If the recipient clicks the button to pay the fee, they’re taken to a phishing page which is an almost exact replica of the authentic Australia Post tracking site, with the main distinguishable difference being the URL which is actually for a website “bestfunnyblog”.
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. In bold print, the user is asked to verify their address, and supply information for their:
- Full name
- Street address
- City
- State
- Phone number
- ZIP code
After continuing, the victim’s personal information will be harvested by the attacker, and they’re then asked to enter their credit card details to make the $3.00 redelivery payment, including:
- Name on card
- Card number
- Security code
- Expiry date
Finally, the victim is instructed to enter the one-time code that has been sent to their mobile. This seemingly harmless request is a common tactic used by cybercriminals to verify the authenticity of a victim’s credit card details, which are then swiftly stolen.
Phishing attacks using parcel redelivery scams are on the rise, as scammers utilize SMS and email to target victims. If you receive a suspicious email that appears different from the one depicted above, check out this Australia Post scam we stopped in February 2023.
Australia Post warns customers that they will never:
- Call, text or email you asking for personal or financial information including password, credit card details or account information
- Call, text or email you to request payment
- Ask you to click on an email link to print off a label to redeem your package
MailGuard advises all recipients of this email to delete it immediately without clicking on any links. Providing your personal details can result in your sensitive information being used for criminal activity and may have a severe negative impact on your business and its financial well-being.
MailGuard urges users not to click links or open attachments within emails that:
- Are not addressed to you by name.
- Appear to be from a legitimate company but use poor English or omits personal details that a legitimate sender would include.
- Are from businesses that you were not expecting to hear from, and/or
- Take you to a landing page or website that is not the legitimate URL of the company the email is purporting to be sent from.
Many businesses turn to MailGuard after an incident or a near miss, often as a result of an email similar to the one shown above. If unwanted emails are a problem for your business, don’t wait until it’s too late.
Reach out to our team for a confidential discussion by emailing expert@mailguard.com.au or calling 1300 30 44 30.
One email is all that it takes
All that it takes to devastate your business is a cleverly worded email message that can steal sensitive user credentials or disrupt your business operations. If scammers can trick one person in your company into clicking on a malicious link or attachment, they can gain access to your data or inflict damage on your business.
For a few dollars per staff member per month, you can protect your business with MailGuard's predictive and advanced email security. Talk to a solution consultant at MailGuard today about securing your company's inboxes.
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