Warning issued about malware-dropping Australia Post email scam

Business owners expecting Christmas mail have been warned about clicking on links purporting to be from logistics companies after email security firm MailGuard intercepted an Australia Post scam this week.

The email, which the firm says it blocked from reaching its customers’ inboxes this week, is formatted to look like a reminder notice from Australia Post, informing the recipient that a parcel is waiting for them.

A link claiming to contain a downloadable dispatch note actually contains a malware-filled file, MailGuard says.

“We’re all eager to get our Xmas shopping on time, so we might not think twice before clicking a link in an email like this,” the company said in a blog post, warning that the festive season is prime time for “brandjacking scams” that aim to piggy back on services that individuals and businesses are likely to already be using.

The email subject line and formatting mimic that of a genuine Australia Post email, but the sender is not an official address.

Instead, the message comes from the “Department of Parcels” and lists an email address not at all related to Australia Post.

MailGuard says that in addition to following the standard advice of never clicking an unknown link in an email, business owners who receive invoices or notes they are unsure about should be using old-fashioned tactics to check the legitimacy of messages.

“If you’re not sure whether a message is legitimate, phone the organisation it appears to be from and check,” the company advises.

Never miss a story: sign up to SmartCompany’s free daily newsletter and find our best stories on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.