I Was Only Expecting a Parcel...
It starts like any other day.
You've finally sat down with a nice hot cuppa after mowing the lawn, walking the dog or convincing yourself you'll clean the garage "next weekend".
Your phone suddenly goes Ding!
You glance at the screen.
Australia Post: Your parcel couldn't be delivered. A small payment is required before delivery.
You think...
"Oh yeah... I did order something."
Actually... was it Amazon?
Or Temu?
Or eBay?
Maybe Bunnings?
You've bought so much online lately you honestly can't remember.
So you think...
"It's only $2.95."
Unfortunately, that's exactly what the scammer wants you to think.
The World's Most Expensive $2.95
You click the link.
A very professional-looking Australia Post website appears.
It has the logo.
The colours look right.
Everything seems genuine.
You enter your credit card details.
The payment fails.
"That's odd..."
You try again.
Still nothing.
You shrug your shoulders and get on with your day.
Meanwhile, somewhere else in the world, a scammer is smiling because they now have your card details.
Don't Feel Embarrassed
Here's something that surprises many people.
These scams don't just fool older Australians or people who aren't good with computers.
They've fooled teachers, business owners, accountants, tradies and even people who work in IT.
Modern phishing scams are incredibly convincing.
Scammers don't hack computers.
They hack people.
Their Favourite Tricks
Scammers love pretending to be organisations you already trust.
- Australia Post
- Your bank
- Microsoft
- myGov
- Telstra
- PayPal
- Netflix
- Amazon
If you've heard of the company, chances are someone is pretending to be it.
My Favourite Computer Tip
Never click a link because someone else told you to.
Instead:
- Close the email or text message.
- Open your web browser yourself.
- Type the company's website address manually.
- Log in from there.
It takes about twenty seconds.
It could save you thousands of dollars.
The Kettle Test ☕
Whenever I receive one of these messages, I stop for a moment and ask myself...
"Was I actually expecting this?"
If I'm not sure, I make another cup of tea before I do anything.
It sounds silly, but slowing down is one of the best ways to avoid being scammed.
Scammers rely on people reacting quickly.
What If You've Already Clicked?
Firstly... don't panic.
Simply:
- Change your password immediately.
- Contact your bank if you entered payment details.
- Turn on Multi-Factor Authentication where available.
- Ask someone you trust if you're unsure.
There's absolutely no shame in asking for help.
Final Thoughts
Technology makes life easier, but unfortunately it also gives scammers new opportunities.
You don't need to become a computer expert to stay safe.
Most scams can be avoided simply by slowing down, thinking twice and checking before you click.
If something doesn't feel quite right...
It probably isn't.
Go and make another cuppa, then come back and look again.
Your bank account will thank you.
Need a Second Opinion?
If you've received a suspicious email, text message or pop-up and you're not sure whether it's genuine, Tweed IT is happy to help.
I'd much rather spend two minutes checking an email than two hours helping recover a hacked account.
When in doubt... don't click. Just ask.
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