iscover
Share this article on:
Powered by
MOMENTUM
MEDIA
ACCC warns of package delivery scams, while Bitdefender says scams in general are picking up.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is warning Australians to be wary of package delivery scams in the run-up to Christmas.
The National Anti-Scam Centre has already seen delivery phishing scams rise four times above average this year, and with more people expecting more deliveries as people shop for presents – for themselves or loved ones – the centre fears the number of scams will only rise.
More than 11,000 delivery scams were reported to Scamwatch this year, and more than $720,000 has been lost by their victims – and that is only counting up to October 2023.
Last year, the total amount of parcel delivery scams reported to Scamwatch was 2,931.
“Many Australians will be waiting for parcels to be delivered both ahead of Christmas and following the Boxing Day sales, and you can be sure that scammers will be looking to take advantage of this,” said ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe in a statement.
“Our advice to consumers is to never click on links in text messages or emails, even if you’re expecting a delivery. Instead, consumers should independently check the status of their delivery by going to the Australia Post app or website or the courier service they’re expecting the delivery from.”
Scams of all types are on the rise globally, as well, in the lead-up to the holidays, warns security company Bitdefender.
As early as 5 December, Bitdefender’s Antispam Lab saw a 5 per cent increase in holiday spam, with nearly 30 per cent of such emails scanned between 13 November and 12 December being scams.
“Christmas-themed scam surveys are all about stealing your money and personal information,” Bitdefender researcher Alina Bîzgă said in a blog post. “They promise you free gifts, money, and mystery presents that will arrive just in time for Christmas Day if you just fill them out now.
“All of the fake surveys we analysed asked recipients to provide their name, contact information (phone number and email address), and address before paying a small shipping fee (usually just a couple of dollars) to receive their prize.”
Now, more than ever, it pays to look at any out-of-the-blue texts or emails with a bit of suspicion. Be on the lookout for links that look legitimate but may feature slightly different brand spellings and convoluted URLs.
Remember – if it looks too good to be true, it usually is.
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
Be the first to hear the latest developments in the cyber industry.
