Sydney, May 31: A new research commissioned by Australia Post, Australians are increasingly targeted by shipping and package delivery scams, with 73 per cent of respondents reporting they have received such fraudulent messages.
This scam type tops the list, far outstripping others such as overdue tolls (49 per cent) and fake prize winnings (39 per cent).
The study, conducted by Pollfish in April 2024 on a nationally represented sample of 1,495 Australians, reveals that more than a quarter (27 per cent) of those surveyed have fallen victim to scams, sometimes experiencing significant financial losses, including a small percentage (5 per cent) who lost over $20,000.
Alarmingly, over 80 per cent of Australians receive between one and ten scam texts and calls weekly, with some facing up to 16 scam emails a week.
“Australians are 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,” said Paul Graham, Australia Post’s Group Chief Executive & Managing Director.
To combat this, Australia Post is promoting the use of its free AusPost app, which provides secure tracking of deliveries. “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,” Graham advised.
Australia Post underscores that it will never ask for personal or financial information or request payment via calls, texts, or emails. It also warned that parcel delivery scams might reference other delivery companies’ names, both real and fictitious.
The report coincides with the latest figures from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which found Australians lost $2.74 billion to scams in 2023, marking an 18.5 per cent increase from the previous year.
The ACCC recommends downloading official apps and enabling notifications to ensure message authenticity, advising against hastily clicking on links or providing personal information.
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