A Brisbane woman narrowly avoided losing her life savings to an Australia Post scam.
Rebecca Callander is now urging online shoppers to be wary of scams targeting people in the lead-up to Christmas and during events such as the upcoming Black Friday sales.
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Industry insiders said scammers were becoming more sophisticated in their approach and have shared tips for avoiding fraudulent activity.
Callander, a musician, purchased items online and later received a text message claiming to be from Australia Post.
The text said delivery of her parcel had been unsuccessful, and directed her to a link where she could update her address if required.
“I clicked the link and was directed to a webpage that appeared completely legitimate — the layout, the logo, everything seemed in order,” Callander said.
“I entered my details to pay the $3.80 postal fee, thinking I had made an error with my postcode and that my package would be re-delivered.
“As soon as I pressed ‘confirm’ to process the fee, I tried to access the ‘contact information’ button, but nothing happened.
“I then started clicking on other tabs, only to realise that the webpage was not fully functional and was merely designed to collect information.
“That’s when I contacted my bank and immediately froze all my accounts.”
Callander’s bank acted quickly enough that her $23,000 in life savings were protected.
“I must have worked 50 wedding DJ gigs to save enough money to travel to London to advance my career, so I was incredibly relieved to avoid such a financial disaster,” Callander said.
If the scammers had been successful, it would have “derailed” her career, Callander said.
“The only consolation is that, as an artist, my bank accounts are often nearly empty,” she said.
“In previous scams, they’ve only managed to steal around $7.00.”
Callander believes she was likely targeted by scammers after her information was leaked or sold.
“I felt like a fool,” she said.
She is thankful she was tech-savvy enough to realise the website was not legitimate and acted accordingly but she worries vulnerable groups such as elderly people may be easier targets.
“The first thing I thought of was my grandmother and other family members,” Callander said.
“If I could fall for a scam like this, then someone less tech-savvy, like my grandmother, easily could too.
“I only narrowly avoided having my account compromised because I acted quickly, but I can imagine many others falling prey to this scam.”
Scam season approaching
With many Australians gearing up for Black Friday sales, and planning their Christmas shopping, Callander is warning people to be wary of scams.
“If you receive an email from an ‘established’ business that ends in @gmail, it’s likely a scam,” she said.
“For example, [email protected] is clearly fake.
“If you have any doubts, contact the company’s official customer service number and verify the message’s legitimacy.
“Never assume it’s genuine.
“I no longer click on any links and instead use apps like the official Australia Post app to track my deliveries.
“If I receive a message from an unknown number, I simply ignore it,” Callander said.
Australia Post does not call, text or email customers asking for personal or financial information including passwords, credit card details or account information or to request payment.
The postal service has a list of current known scams on its website, including SMS, email and other scams.
Australia Post said anyone targeted by a scam passing itself off as the service should report it by emailing the message to [email protected] or contacting its team through the other methods listed on its website.
“Do not click on any unexpected/unusual links or open attachments, “ Australia Post said.
“Delete the message once you have sent it through to us.”
Industry advice
Interparcel CEO Steve Zammit warned scammers targeted people during key sales periods as they knew more people would be shopping online.
“Key sales periods like Black Friday and Christmas present a prime opportunity for scammers to exploit consumers’ heightened online activity,” Zammit said.
“With a significant increase in eCommerce sales during these times, scammers often craft highly sophisticated schemes, such as fake delivery notifications, unsecured payment methods or fraudulent websites, to trick people into providing personal and financial details.
“Shoppers should be extra cautious of unsolicited communications as we approach these peak sales periods, especially those overly demanding, requesting immediate payment or asking for personal information.
“If something doesn’t seem right, such as an email address or tone of voice, you should always verify the legitimacy of emails or messages by contacting the company directly through official channels, such as their website, customer service line or mobile apps.
“The key is to remain vigilant, trust your instincts, and avoid engaging with unverified sources.
“For businesses, we recommend sending email notifications instead of SMS, as links in text messages are often shortened, making it harder for customers to verify their legitimacy.
“With email, recipients can view the full link and the sender’s email address, providing more information to help them identify potential scams, which is often more difficult with a simple mobile number.”