Australia Post Scam: Fake Parcel Texts and Redelivery Fees

An AusPost scam is a fake text, email or call that uses Australia Post’s name to say a parcel is on hold, couldn’t be delivered or needs a small fee or address update before it can arrive. The link leads to a copy of Australia Post’s website built to steal card and personal details. Don’t tap it. Check any delivery by opening the official AusPost app or typing Australia Post’s website address yourself, and report the message to Scamwatch.

These messages work because almost everyone in Australia has a parcel on the way at some point, and the fee is usually small enough to pay without thinking. If you’ve already entered your details, you’re far from alone, and quick action now can limit the damage.

How the Australia Post scam works

A message arrives that looks like a routine delivery update. It says your parcel is waiting at a depot, a delivery attempt failed, or the address is incomplete. There’s a link and a deadline: the parcel will be “returned to sender” unless you act within a day or two.

The link opens a page with Australia Post’s red and white branding. It asks you to confirm your name, address, phone number and date of birth, then pay a small redelivery, storage or “address correction” fee. Some versions then show a screen asking for a one-time code from your bank. Whatever you type goes straight to the scammers.

The fee itself is bait. The real target is your full card number, expiry date, security code and any bank code, which can be used to make purchases or add your card to a scammer’s digital wallet. Your personal details are often reused a few days later in a follow-up call from someone pretending to be your bank.

The same pattern is used with other couriers around the world, as our guide to package delivery scams explains. If you’ve had similar texts that claim to be from a government agency or your phone company, our guides to the myGov scam and the Telstra scam cover those. Fake unpaid toll texts work the same way; see our Linkt scam guide.

Common versions of the AusPost scam

Version	What it usually says
Parcel on hold	Your parcel is being held at a facility and needs action through a link before it can be released.
Redelivery fee	A delivery attempt failed and you must pay a small fee to book a new one.
Incomplete address	The address on the parcel is “incorrect” or “incomplete”, and you must update it through a link.
Customs or import charge	A parcel from overseas has duties or fees owing before it can be delivered.
Fake email with tracking button	A branded email with a “track your item” or “reschedule” button leading to a phishing page.
Automated call	A recorded message says a parcel is held and asks you to press a number to speak to an “agent”, who then asks for payment or details.

Some of these copy real events. Australia Post does sometimes hold parcels for collection, and real import charges exist for some overseas goods. That’s why the safe habit isn’t to ignore everything, but to check it yourself through the official app or website.

What Australia Post says about scams

Australia Post publishes scam guidance on its official website. In general terms, it says it won’t call, text or email you asking for personal or financial information such as passwords or card details, and it warns customers about messages that use its name to push them toward a payment link.

Its advice, broadly, is to check the web address carefully, avoid links in unexpected messages, and track items through its official app or website using a tracking number from the retailer or sender. Read the current version on the official site, which you reach by typing the address yourself, because details and examples change as scammers change their wording.

Warning signs of a fake Australia Post message

• A link in a text that goes anywhere other than Australia Post’s official website. Scam sites use look-alike addresses with extra words, hyphens or unusual endings.
• A small fee with a short deadline. Low amounts are chosen so you won’t stop to question them.
• No tracking number, or one that shows nothing when you enter it in the official app or site yourself.
• A parcel you don’t remember ordering, or no mention of the retailer or sender.
• Requests for your date of birth, card details or a bank code just to redeliver an item.
• A message from an ordinary mobile number or a strange email address.
• Odd wording, spelling or formatting, although many fake messages are now well written, so a clean message proves nothing.

What to do if you got the message but didn’t click

1. Don’t tap the link or reply. Replying tells scammers your number is active.
2. Check any parcel you’re expecting through the official app or website, or the retailer’s own order page.
3. Report the message to Scamwatch, and follow Australia Post’s official guidance on reporting scams if you want to tell it directly.
4. Block the number and delete the message once you’ve reported it.

What to do right now if you clicked or paid

1. Contact your bank straight away through its official app or the number on the back of your card. Tell it you entered card details on a scam site and ask it to block the card and watch for fraudulent payments.
2. Check for transactions you don’t recognize, including small test amounts and cards added to digital wallets.
3. Treat any follow-up call with suspicion. If someone says they’re from your bank, Australia Post or the police, hang up and call the organization back on a number you find yourself.
4. Never move money to a “safe” account because a caller told you to. Genuine banks don’t ask you to do this.
5. If you entered a password, change it wherever you use it and turn on two-step verification.
6. If you shared identity details such as your date of birth, driver’s license number or Medicare number, contact IDCARE, Australia and New Zealand’s free identity and cyber support service, which can help you work out what to protect.
7. Keep screenshots of the message, the web address and any payment confirmation.

Where to report an Australia Post scam

• Scamwatch: report the scam to Scamwatch, run by the National Anti-Scam Centre, which uses reports to warn the public and disrupt scams. Our guide on how to report a scam to Scamwatch explains what to include.
• ReportCyber: if you lost money through a fake website or an account was compromised, report it through ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au.
• Australia Post: its official website explains how to tell it about scam messages that use its name. Go there by typing the address yourself.
• Your bank: report the fraud through its official app or the number on your card, even if the amount was small.
• Your phone carrier: many carriers have their own way to report scam texts; check its official website.

For every reporting route in one place, see our guide on how to report a scammer.

Will you get your money back?

If you paid by card and tell your bank quickly, it may be able to block the card, stop pending payments or dispute fraudulent transactions. The outcome depends on the details of your case and your bank’s investigation, so report it as soon as you notice.

If a follow-up caller talked you into sending a bank transfer, contact your bank immediately, as it may be able to try to recover the funds. Transfers are harder to reverse than card payments. If you’re unhappy with how your bank handles your complaint, you can take it to AFCA, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority, which is free for consumers.

Be wary of anyone who contacts you afterwards promising to recover your money for a fee. These offers are almost always recovery scams, a second attempt aimed at people who have already lost money.

A worked example

This is an illustrative scenario, not a real case. Mei is waiting on a pair of shoes from an online store. She gets a text: “AusPost: your parcel is held due to an incomplete address. Update within 24 hours to avoid return.” The link looks close enough to the real site.

1. Mei enters her address and date of birth. The page then asks for her card details to pay a small “redelivery” fee.
2. She pauses. The store’s order confirmation had its own tracking link, and nothing mentioned a fee.
3. She closes the page, opens the official AusPost app and enters the tracking number from the store’s email. The parcel is in transit, with no issue.
4. Because she’d already typed her date of birth and address, she makes a note to be extra careful with calls and texts for a while, and reports the text to Scamwatch.

A week later, Mei gets a call from “her bank” warning of suspicious activity and quoting her address. She hangs up and calls the bank on the number on her card. It confirms it didn’t call. Her shoes arrived the next day.

How to protect yourself next time

• Track every parcel from the retailer’s confirmation or the official AusPost app, never from a text link.
• Turn on scam and spam filtering on your phone, and switch on payment alerts in your banking app.
• Keep a quick list of what you’ve ordered. A delivery message for something you don’t recognize is a strong warning sign.
• Use a credit card or digital wallet for online purchases where you can.
• Talk to family members, especially older relatives who shop online. Our guide to smishing explains text message scams in plain terms and is easy to share.

If scammers are using your small business’s name in fake delivery messages, and customers are leaving angry reviews or posts as a result, our personal reputation management team can help you see what’s showing up in search and what can be corrected.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Paying “just to be safe”. The fee isn’t the goal; your card details are.
• Using the link to check whether it’s real. Use the official app or website instead.
• Trusting a follow-up call because it knows your details. Scammers already have what you typed.
• Waiting to call your bank because the amount was small. Card details can be used for much larger purchases.
• Keeping quiet out of embarrassment. Banks and Scamwatch see these cases every day, and early reports help.

Frequently asked questions

Does Australia Post send texts about parcels?

Australia Post can send delivery notifications, and it may hold parcels for collection. But scammers copy those messages. Don’t use a link in a text; check your parcel in the official AusPost app or on its website using the tracking number from your retailer.

Is an AusPost redelivery fee text a scam?

A text asking you to pay a small redelivery or address correction fee through a link is a very common scam pattern. Check the parcel through official channels instead. If there’s a genuine issue, it will show there.

What should I do if I entered my card details on a fake Australia Post site?

Contact your bank straight away through its official app or the number on your card and ask it to block the card. Be suspicious of any follow-up calls, report the scam to Scamwatch, and contact IDCARE if you shared identity details.

How do I report an Australia Post scam?

Report it to Scamwatch, and to ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au if you lost money or an account was compromised. You can also tell Australia Post through its official website, reached by typing the address yourself.