Don’t click! Parcel delivery texts to stop in bid to beat scams

E-commerce companies are set to phase out text messages alerting people of when parcels are likely to be delivered this year in an attempt to close a common entry point for cyber criminals.

Richard Thame, chief executive of Singapore Post-owned Couriers Please, expects more companies to switch to Amazon-style app notifications.

“It’s very rare for consumers in advanced overseas economies to get a tracking link via SMS,” Mr Thame said.

“Clickable links on mobile devices will die off over the next year. Its life has probably been prolonged here in Australia.

“And I think there’s a whole new generation of consumers who are using social platforms, so I think the next stage is that more seamless integration with the various other social platforms as well.”

SMiShing, a variant of phishing, is a common tactic cyber criminals use, involving sending simple text messages with an urgent “call to action”, such as asking where they would like a parcel delivered or to unlock and verify an account.

Once a fraudulent link is clicked, hackers can gain access to personal information, and mobile phones, banking apps and email inboxes, potentially fleecing people of their life savings.

In the first 10 months of last year, Australians reported more than 11,000 parcel delivery scams to Scamwatch, with more than $720,000 lost.

It is understood many more scams are unreported out of embarrassment.

People are at greatest risk of falling victim to the scams during peak delivery periods such as Christmas, when they might not scrutinise SMS alerts as closely.

Scammers are also more sophisticated at impersonating legitimate delivery providers, such as Australia Post, making it harder for customers to tell what is genuine.

Fake invoicing is a common type of scam that has hit car dealers, real estate agents and customers.

Customers are advised to verify bank account details when a payment is requested in writing via email to mitigate the risk of such attacks.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission offers similar advice in regard to SMS parcel delivery scams.

“Never click on links in text messages or emails, even if you’re expecting a delivery,” ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe said.