Australia Post Impersonation Parcel Scams
Fraudsters send bulk SMS and email messages impersonating Australia Post, AusPost Express, and private couriers to harvest card details from Australians through fake redelivery and customs-fee pages.
Part of: Fake Delivery Texts
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Australia Post is one of the most widely recognised brands in Australia, handling tens of millions of deliveries annually. Scammers capitalise on its ubiquity by sending parcel-notification phishing messages that blend seamlessly into the genuine delivery notifications Australians receive regularly.
ScamWatch data from the ACCC consistently lists parcel phishing among the most frequently reported scam types in Australia, with click rates particularly high during peak e-commerce periods such as Black Friday, Christmas, and post-Christmas sales.
How this scam works on Australia
An SMS arrives claiming that an Australia Post parcel has been held due to an unpaid customs fee or failed delivery attempt. A link in the message directs the recipient to a convincingly styled clone of the Australia Post website, where they are asked to enter their card details to pay a small fee — typically AUD 3–10.
The card details are then used for larger fraudulent transactions elsewhere. Some campaigns also request the recipient's full name and address, which are harvested for identity fraud purposes.
Variants impersonate StarTrack, DHL, and FedEx using identical mechanics. Timing of the SMS campaigns often coincides with major sale events when consumers are most likely to have genuinely ordered items and be expecting deliveries.
Common red flags
- Unexpected SMS about a parcel requiring a fee to be released via a link
- Sender number is a standard mobile number rather than an alphanumeric sender like 'AusPost'
- Link in the message goes to a domain other than auspost.com.au
- Small fee requested — AUD 3–10 — to release a supposedly held parcel
- Site asks for full card number, expiry, and CVV for a minor delivery charge
- You were not expecting an international parcel but the message claims customs duty is owed
How to protect yourself
- Track parcels only via the Australia Post app or by typing auspost.com.au directly
- Never click links in SMS delivery notifications — use the tracking number on the official site
- Australia Post charges customs and duties through formal letters, not SMS payment links
- Enable spending alerts on your bank card to catch any unauthorised charge immediately
- Report the phishing SMS by forwarding it to 7226 (SPAM)
- Use a virtual single-use card for any genuine small fee payments online
How to report it
- Report to Australia Post at austpost.com.au/help/fraud-and-scams
- Report to ScamWatch at scamwatch.gov.au
- Report to the Australian Cyber Security Centre at cyber.gov.au/report
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell a real Australia Post message from a fake one?
Genuine Australia Post SMS notifications come from the alphanumeric sender 'AusPost' and link only to auspost.com.au. Australia Post will never ask you to pay a customs fee via an SMS link. Verify by entering your tracking number directly at auspost.com.au rather than clicking any link.