Australia Post scam alert: Fraudsters are trying to con people expecting parcels with this VERY convincing text message
- Australia Post has issued a warning about scammers sending text messages
- They ask for payment saying people have won mobile phones in a competition
- In one such scam, a sender claimed to be Dick Smith, a prominent businessman
Australia Post is warning of a scam featuring the name of a prominent millionaire businessman.
The government-owned postal service has posted a warning on social media about a fraudulent text message advising Australians a parcel was being delivered to them.
A sender, falsely claiming to be Dick Smith, tells them they have 'won a phone in a competition'.
They are then urged to click on a link to 'pay freight' of $1 to receive the good 'detained in terminal'.
Australia Post is warning of a scam alert featuring the name of a prominent millionaire businessman. A sender, falsely claiming to be Dick Smith, tells them they have 'won a phone in a competition' (pictured is Australia Post's Twitter warning)
'The package will be shipped immediately upon payment of freight,' the scam said.
Australia Post has issued a Twitter warning about this SMS scam claiming to be from them.
'Please do not click any links or make any payments,' it said.
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In a statement, Australia Post said the link to various websites could not be trusted.
'The scammers will direct you to a "reward" which asks for your banking information,' it said.
'Please do not provide your banking information – this is how scammers can take money from your accounts.'
Australia Post said it never emailed or sent text messages asking anyone to click on a link to provide a payment
The scammers had also managed to make their text messages appear as legitimate Australia Post messages.
However, the government business enterprise said it never emailed or sent out text messages asking anyone to click on a link to print out a receipt or a label to collect a package.
'Nor will Australia Post ask you to send an email containing any personal or financial information, including any form of ID, passwords, credit card details and account information,' it said.
The latest scam alert was issued as Mr Smith wrote a column in The Australian calling for a $75 a week increase in the Newstart unemployment benefit.
