With Christmas only days away the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is warning consumers to watch out for fake delivery scams arriving in your inbox or post box.
“Australians send and receive millions of parcels at Christmas time. If you are expecting a parcel to give as a gift to family or friends, or expect to receive one, it’s important to watch out for these scams,” ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.
Ms Rickard explained that scammers contact unwitting victims posing as employees from a legitimate parcel delivery service. They claim to have made an unsuccessful attempt to deliver a package to your address and offer to redeliver at a convenient time in exchange for a fee, usually ranging from $10 to $30.
“Keep in mind that you, or the purchaser, are likely to have already paid any costs associated with delivery. If you think you have provided your banking or credit card details to a scammer contact your bank or financial institution immediately,” Ms Rickard said.
Ms Rickard pointed out that the number of people falling for this scam is on the rise with losses totalling $30,000 reported this year and almost 300 complaints, which is almost double the amount of last year’s money loss and contacts.