Australians spent $18.9 billion on online marketplaces in the past year — but as marketplace scams targeting sellers increase, Australia Post is urging Australians to stay vigilant when buying and selling items online.
“We are seeing scammers targeting buyers and sellers through fake listings, counterfeit items, and payment tricks designed to steal personal and financial information,” chief information officer Adam Cartwright said.
Scammers posing as genuine users are approaching sellers on Facebook Marketplace. They send a link or QR code through Messenger that leads to fake ‘Australia Post courier service’ websites, claiming Australia Post is handling payment from the buyer, transferring funds to the seller, and managing pickup and delivery.
However, these fraudulent sites are designed to capture and steal Australians’ personal and financial information, Mr Cartwright warned.
Australia Post does not handle payments for buyers, and does not have a courier service associated with Facebook Marketplace. More than 2,500 Australians have reported being targeted by Facebook Marketplace scams to Australia Post this year.
“Staying vigilant and following safe practices can help protect you,” Mr Cartwright said. “If something doesn’t look right, we encourage people to pause and double‑check before sharing any details.”
Australia Post recommends that customers organising postal services download the official AusPost app, and enable push notifications for parcel tracking. This is the most secure and reliable way to receive genuine delivery updates.
Australia Post will never ask for personal or financial details via phone, text or email, including passwords, credit card, or bank details.
Do not click on suspicious links in text message or emails.
, Australia Post’s latest Annual eCommerce Report shows.
For more tips on how to navigate parcel and delivery scams, visit the Australia Post website: https://auspost.com.au/ScamAlerts
To sign up for a free MyPost account, visit https://auspost.com.au/receiving/mypost or download the AusPost app from the Apple Store or Google Play.
