AUSPOST email scams - fake parcel notification contains malware
There is a new malware (malicious software) scam going around which may arrive via your inbox as a fake AUSPOST email (see photo).WA ScamNet has received a number of reports from consumers who have received the email. The scam looks so much like an authentic Australia Post email, the potential to fall victim to this is high.
The email entices users to click on the links to “print your shipping label for tracking". Doing this will download ransomware onto your computer.
There seems to be a number of variations of the email which may or may not be addressed to you personally. All emails ask you to click on a link and download a shipping label. The email addresses used are not Australia Post email addresses. The email addresses WA ScamNet are aware of so far are:
Katefama@hotmail.com, templeton@sandhurst.net.au and templeton=Sandhurst.net.au@mail105.us4.mcsv.net
In a previous scam, an email directs you to a fake AUSPOST website (see photo) and wants you to download information about a parcel that belongs to you.
Scammers are hoping for a quick click of the .zip file attachment without thought.
If you do click the file, it most likely contains malware of some sort. Chances are this malware is going to disrupt your computer, collect your secure personal information or access private systems.
The scammers used www.au-post.info as part of the scam. When WA ScamNet looked into who operated the site, an address in Queensland came up but the phone number is from Denmark and an internet search of that number links it to other scams.
If you go directly to www.au-post.info by typing the address into your browser, rather than clicking the link in the fake AUSPOST email, it redirects to the real Australia Post website which makes the scam even more convincing.
Read about other parcel notification scams: