Australia Post scam text? How to check a delivery message

Does Australia Post send text messages?

A simple “yes” can be misunderstood as “trust every delivery text”. The important question is what this particular message asks you to do and whether your own delivery information supports it.

Australia Post: current scam alerts and reporting recommends the official AusPost app with notifications for legitimate delivery updates. It says Australia Post will never call, text or email asking for unauthorised personal or financial information, or request an unexpected payment unrelated to something you asked for.

Australia Post also documents scam messages that use the “AusPost” sender ID and appear in the same phone thread as legitimate messages. Sender ID and message-thread placement are not proof.

Example: redelivery fee

AusPost: Your parcel could not be delivered.
Pay a $2.20 redelivery fee within 24 hours or it will be returned.
hxxp://example[.]invalid/redelivery

Example: verify your postcode or address

Your delivery is on hold because the address is incomplete.
Verify your postcode within 48 hours:
hxxp://example[.]invalid/address

Example: reply “Y” or arrange a safe place

Delivery driver: I could not find a safe place for your parcel.
Reply Y, then open the link to choose redelivery or collection:
hxxp://example[.]invalid/safe-place

That alert is about a specific tactic, not a guarantee that every device will behave the same way. The safe action is simple: do not reply, and check the delivery independently.

What about an Australia Post scam email?

The same verification routine applies. Australia Post lists “attempted delivery”, “confirm your details”, incorrect-address and redelivery email scams. Copied logos and similar-looking sender addresses can make them convincing.

Subject: Attempted delivery — confirm your details

We could not deliver your parcel. Confirm your address and arrange
redelivery here: hxxp://example[.]invalid/confirm

How to check your parcel safely

1. Stop interacting with the message. Do not reply, click, open an attachment or pay.
2. Open the official AusPost app. Enable its delivery notifications if you want updates directly through the app. Otherwise type the known Australia Post website address yourself.
3. Use tracking information you already trust. A number from the retailer’s original order confirmation may help, but do not assume a new tracking number in a suspicious message is genuine.
4. Compare the actual request. Are you really expecting this parcel? Does your own delivery information show an address problem or fee?
5. Find support independently. Use contact details on Australia Post’s official site, not those supplied in the message.

If you clicked but entered nothing

Close the page. Do not download anything, reply to the sender or continue because the site looks official. A click alone does not prove malware was installed, and it does not prove you are safe.

Keep a note of what happened and watch for follow-up messages. If you downloaded a file, installed an app, allowed device permissions or notice unusual behaviour, get reputable technical support and follow Cyber.gov.au: recover from scams.

If you entered details, paid or installed something

How to report and delete it

• Send the suspicious email, invoice or text to scams@auspost.com.au, following Australia Post: current scam alerts and reporting. For a text, its current guidance asks for a screenshot.
• If it arrived by iMessage, use Apple’s “Delete and Report Junk” feature as described by Australia Post.
• If it arrived by RCS on Android, use Google’s block-and-report-spam feature.
• Delete the message after reporting it. Reporting to Australia Post is separate from reporting to Scamwatch or making a cybercrime report.

Recheck the official page before acting if you are reading this much later; reporting addresses and device options can change.

A calm way to help someone else

Try: “You don’t need to work it out from the text. Let’s leave it alone and open the AusPost app together. If there is a real parcel problem, we can deal with it there.”

Avoid “you should have known”. Scammers deliberately imitate services people use and trust. Scamwatch: help someone who’s being scammed has supportive conversation guidance.