Is this delivery text from Australia Post a scam?
No. Australia Post is the national postal service, and it is precisely that ubiquity that scammers borrow: fake AusPost texts about held or undeliverable parcels are among the most common scam messages on Australian phones, built to harvest card details through a small 'redelivery' fee. The good news: a few quick checks almost always tell a real Australia Post message from a fake.
Genuine Australia Post links lead to auspost.com.au — but a link can be made to look real, so don't go by the link alone. Below is exactly what a real Australia Post message looks like, the scams currently circulating in its name, the red flags that give a fake away, and a real example to compare against. Got a message in front of you? Check it now for an instant verdict.
Australia Post is among the brands most impersonated in parcel-delivery scams: Australians made over 11,000 reports of parcel-delivery scams to Scamwatch, losing more than $720,000, between 1 January and 31 October 2023. Source: ACCC / National Anti-Scam Centre
What a real Australia Post message looks like
Genuine SMS from Australia Post typically arrive under the sender ID AusPost or AUPOST, and genuine links lead to auspost.com.au. Treat a link to any other address as a warning sign.
- Genuine AusPost SMS show the sender ID 'AusPost' — but scammers can spoof the sender name, so judge the message itself, not the name it appears under (a text from a mobile number is a red flag)
- Track parcels only at auspost.com.au or in the AusPost app — treat a link to any other address as a red flag
- Australia Post won't ask you for payment or personal or financial information by call, text or email to release, redirect or redeliver a parcel — treat any such request as a scam
- Genuine missed-delivery notices direct you to a post office or the AusPost app — a real one won't ask for your card details
- A real tracking number works when you type it into auspost.com.au or the AusPost app yourself
What Australia Post will never do
- Call, text or email asking for payment to release, redirect or redeliver a parcel (Australia Post states it won't; treat any such request as a scam)
- Ask for your card details, date of birth or driver licence number to 'verify' a delivery
- Point you to a tracking page anywhere other than auspost.com.au or the AusPost app
- Replace a missed-delivery card or post office collection with a payment link (a genuine notice never needs your card)
- Give you hours to save a parcel; no legitimate courier destroys or returns parcels on a same-day countdown
Common Australia Post scams
- Missed-delivery texts claiming your parcel 'could not be delivered', linking to a page that charges a small redelivery fee (typically $1–$3) purely to capture your full card details
- Fake customs or shipping-fee demands claiming a parcel is being held until you pay
- Phishing tracking pages styled to look exactly like auspost.com.au that harvest card numbers and personal details
- Scam waves timed to peak shopping periods like Christmas and major sales, when most Australians are expecting a parcel
Red flags to watch for
- Any SMS asking you to pay a redelivery or release fee — Australia Post won't request payment by text
- Links to lookalike domains in the style of 'auspost-redelivery[.]example' or 'auspost-track[.]example' instead of auspost.com.au
- Messages sent from a mobile or overseas number rather than the AusPost sender ID
- Artificial urgency such as 'your parcel will be returned within 24 hours' to rush you into clicking
- Requests for card details, date of birth or driver licence number to 'verify' a delivery
Australia Post scam examples
These composed examples show how scams impersonating Australia Post typically read, with the tells that give each one away. Compare them against anything you've received.
AusPost notice: We attempted delivery today but no one was home. Your item is being held at our depot. Book a new delivery window and update your address at aupost-mydelivery[.]example before it is returned to the sender.
What gives it away:
- The link isn't auspost.com.au or the AusPost app, which are the only places Australia Post directs you to track a parcel
- A genuinely missed delivery produces a card or a post office collection, not a booking page that wants your details
- It arrived from a plain mobile number, and even a spoofed 'AusPost' sender ID would prove nothing; the content is what convicts it
A tracking page styled exactly like Australia Post's shows your 'held' parcel and a form asking for your full card number, date of birth and driver licence number to 'verify your identity' before release, for a small processing charge.
What gives it away:
- Australia Post won't ask for payment or personal or financial information to release a parcel; the request itself is the scam
- No courier needs your date of birth or licence number to hand over a box; those fields are there for identity theft
- Type the tracking number into auspost.com.au yourself: a fake parcel won't exist, and a real one won't want your card
Not sure about your message?
Paste the suspicious Australia Post text or email and get an instant scam verdict, free.
How to verify a message from Australia Post
Australia Post's real website is auspost.com.au and the official app is the AusPost app. Reach Australia Post through those channels, never through the details inside a message you're unsure about.
- Don't tap the link or reply to the message
- Open the AusPost app or type auspost.com.au into your browser and enter the tracking number yourself; a real parcel shows the same status there
- If a delivery was genuinely missed, visit your local post office with photo ID or use the help and support section on auspost.com.au
- Check the message against the current scams Australia Post lists on its online security page (linked below)
If you have been scammed in Australia Post's name
Clicked the link, paid, or shared details? Act now. The first hour matters more than anything else you do later.
- If you entered card details, call your bank immediately to block the card and dispute any charges; the small 'fee' is bait for much larger ones
- If you entered a password, change it on the real site straight away and anywhere else you reused it
- If you gave identity details such as a licence number or date of birth, contact IDCARE (idcare.org) for free identity support
- Keep the original message as evidence, then report it to Scamwatch and ReportCyber using the links below
- Forward the scam SMS to 7226 (spells SCAM) so carriers can block the sender, then delete it
Where to report a scam impersonating Australia Post
Received — or fell for — a message impersonating Australia Post? Report it. It helps authorities and carriers shut the campaign down for everyone who gets the next one.
- Australia Post scam alerts — Australia Post's own page on current scams and how to report one.
- Scamwatch — Report the scam to the ACCC's national scam service.
- ReportCyber — Report cybercrime and financial loss to the police.
- ACMA — Complain about scam texts and spam SMS, email or calls.
- Forward to 7226 (SCAM) — Forward the scam SMS to short code 7226 so carriers can block the source.
- IDCARE — Free identity and cyber support if your details were taken.
Latest Australia Post scams in 2026
AusPost remains the courier name scammers reach for first in Australia, and the ACCC-reported wave of parcel-scam losses shows why the format persists. Through 2026 the texts keep cycling the same three excuses, an incomplete address, a held parcel, a missed driver, while the destination pages grow steadily better copies of auspost.com.au. Peaks track the shopping calendar: Christmas, the November sales, and EOFY promotions, when nearly every phone belongs to someone awaiting a delivery. Australia Post's own line is the whole defence in one sentence: it will never call, text or email asking for payment to get a parcel to you. Check tracking only in the AusPost app or at auspost.com.au.
Frequently asked questions
Does Australia Post send text messages about deliveries?
Yes — Australia Post sends genuine delivery SMS, usually under the sender ID 'AusPost' (which scammers can spoof). The difference is what they ask: a real message lets you track or redirect a parcel through auspost.com.au or the AusPost app, and won't ask you to pay a fee or enter card details from a link.
I got a text asking me to pay a small redelivery fee. Is it a scam?
Yes. Australia Post won't ask you to pay a redelivery or release fee by text. The small dollar amount is bait — the real goal is your full card details, which scammers then use for much larger charges.
How do I check whether a parcel text is real?
Don't tap the link. Open the AusPost app or type auspost.com.au into your browser and enter the tracking number yourself. If the number isn't recognised, or you aren't expecting a parcel at all, delete the message and report it to Scamwatch.
I clicked the link and entered my card details. What should I do?
Contact your bank immediately to block the card and dispute any charges. Report the scam to Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) and keep the original message as evidence. If you also entered identity documents such as a licence number, contact IDCARE for free identity support.
What is Australia Post's real website?
Australia Post's only official website is auspost.com.au, and the AusPost app is the other safe place to track parcels. Reach both by typing the address or opening the app yourself, never through a link in a text. Any tracking or payment page on a different address is an impersonation.
How do I report an Australia Post scam text?
Forward the SMS to 7226 (spells SCAM) so carriers can block the sender, and report it to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au. Australia Post also lists current scams on its online security page, which is worth checking. If you lost money, report to ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au and call your bank first.
Related scam types
Scams impersonating Australia Post usually fit one of these patterns. Learn how each works:
Related brands
Other courier names scammers impersonate — check a message from one:
Sources
- Online security, scams and fraud (Australia Post)
- Text or SMS scams (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Expecting a delivery during the holiday sales? Stop and think, don't click the link (ACCC / National Anti-Scam Centre)
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice — always verify with Australia Post through an official channel.