Australia Post customers warned to be on high alert for new 'Darcula' scam texts
Australia Post has issued a warning about a new scam exposing countless of its customers to massive personal and financial losses.
The scam, known as 'Darcula', involves sending fradulent messages purportedly sent by Australia Post, advising customers that their delivery had failed due to an invalid post code.
Customers are then asked to click on a link to a page that appears similar to Australia Post's website where they are asked to provide personal information.
Australia Post shared the alert on its website on Friday, reminding Australians it would never call, text or email customers to request access to personal or financial information or payment.
It also shared new research which found nine in 10 Aussies have received a scam text or call while nearly three-quarters have been targeted by scams mimicking parcel delivery services.
'Scammers prey on busy lifestyles and the excitement and urgency in waiting for a package', Australia Post chief information security officer Adam Cartwright said.
'The safest way to track your deliveries is directly through the official AusPost app. If you're expecting a parcel, don't click on suspicious links or respond to unexpected messages — always check the app first.'
Hacker and founder of Sydney-based cybersecurity firm Dvuln Jamieson O'Reilly told Daily Mail Australia the consequences of falling prey to a Darcula scam could be dire depending on how far the scammer was willing to go.
'As soon as the victim enters their details, the information appears in the criminal's dashboard. They can watch it live and immediately use the information,' he said.
'They might drain bank accounts, steal identities, or sell the information on dark web forums.'
Mr O'Reilly said the scam was an example of a 'Phishing-as-a-Service' platform.
'It gives cybercriminals a turnkey solution to launch sophisticated brand impersonation campaigns,' he said.
'Unlike older phishing kits that rely on hackers cloning legitimate websites and using these static phishing pages, Darcula is a little more innovative.
'It's offered as a subscription-based cybercrime toolkit that makes it incredibly easy for scammers to launch fake websites that look like trusted brands such as Auspost or DHL.'
Mr O'Reilly said the new scam recently entered its third iteration, opening the field to less-skilled scammers who can benefit from the increasingly automated platform.
'Criminals don't need to be technical. They just pick a brand, choose a scam message (like 'you missed a parcel'), and Darcula sets everything up for them,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Mystery after teen mum found dead in demountable home as her baby sleeps next door
The circumstances surrounding the death of a teen mother whose body was found at a home in Western Australia almost a week ago remain unknown. Officers received a Triple-0 call about an unresponsive 18-year-old woman at a demountable property in Calingiri, north-east of Perth, on Monday at about 8.45pm. Police and paramedics arrived at the property on Harrington Street where they carried out emergency first aid. The young woman was declared dead at the scene. Emergency services are understood to have found a baby unharmed in a nearby bedroom. 'Being a small little community town, I think a lot of people are still shocked to see what happened,' neighbour Clint Hansen told 9News on Friday. 'And you know, there's that many different stories going around, so nobody actually knows what happened.' WA Police would not confirm the condition of the baby. When ambulance staff arrived at a demountable home at the rear of Harrington Street, they did not enter the property until police arrived due to 'safety concerns'. It is understood police received the emergency call from a man in an agitated state. Neighbours have said the owners of the property were not in town regularly and that the building was built less than two weeks before the incident. Detectives have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the woman's death.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Beware moving to the 'wrong' country in retirement... you could miss out on £70k in state pension
Choosing to retire to one of the 150-odd countries around the world where the state pension is 'frozen' could prove a £70,000 mistake, new research reveals. That is the vast sum you stand to lose if your state pension stays stuck at the current £230.25 a week, and misses out on the increases everyone else receives for the next 20 years. Many elderly expats live in a country where their state pensions remain at whatever amount they were set at when they moved - including popular destinations like Canada and Australia. Those people have lost out on an estimated £26,000 over the past 15 years, as attempts to persuade successive governments to unfreeze their state pensions have failed to date. Around 450,000 pensioners are presently affected, according to Interactive Investor, which looked back to work out what this has cost them, and ahead at the potential impact on people retiring abroad now. 'Many pensioners dream of spending their golden years overseas - whether it's for a warmer climate, an improved quality of life or to be closer to family and friends,' says Myron Jobson, senior personal finance analyst at II. 'But while the lifestyle may be appealing, it's vital to consider how such a move could affect your state pension entitlement.' > Beware moving to a 'frozen' country: Scroll down to find a map and a full list Your browser does not support iframes. The Government has struck deals to uprate state pensions with some countries, including the US and all those in the EU, but left many others out in the cold. If you move to a frozen destination, II estimates you face a near £70,000 deficit over 20 years. That is based on a 3.7 per cent state pension rise from April 2026, and a fairly conservative assumption of only 2.5 per cent-a-year increases after that. The full new state pension is currently almost £12,000 a year, and the triple lock means it is increased every year by the highest of inflation, average earnings growth or 2.5 per cent, according to the prevailing economic data each autumn. The Government has promised to stick to the triple lock for the whole of the current parliament, and it will be politically difficult for Labour or any other party to drop it at future elections. II factored in a 3.7 per cent state pension rise for next year because that is the Office for Budget Responsibility's current inflation forecast for September 2025, which is the decisive month. Its figures above show the impact of a frozen state pension over shorter timeframes too, with the loss of £433 over just one year. What is your dream retirement destination? Check your state pension rights before deciding if it's affordable Your browser does not support iframes. II also calculated the effect of a frozen state pension on someone who moved to an affected country in 2010. That was the year before the triple lock was introduced by the Coalition government in 2011/12, meaning they wouldn't have benefited from any uprating under the pledge. Those expats have received nearly £26,000 less than someone with a National Insurance record that also earned them a full basic rate state pension, but who stayed in the UK or moved to an unfrozen country like Spain in retirement. II calculated the 15-year figure based on the old full rate basic state pension, which was reformed in April 2016. This is currently around £9,200 a year - though people on the basic rate also get hefty top-ups, called S2P or Serps, if these were earned earlier in life. II also worked out the impact if you moved to a frozen country 10, 5 years or one year ago, but based those figures on the full rate new state pension for this period. Myron Jobson of II says: 'If you move to a country where the UK has no uprating agreement, like Australia or Canada, your state pension will be frozen at the level you first receive it. 'That means you won't benefit from the valuable triple lock increases that pensioners in the UK enjoy each year, and over time, that can seriously erode your spending power.' Therefore, Jobson says planning ahead is key, and you should check whether your chosen destination is affected (see below) and make financial decisions and arrangements with this in mind. 'Consider topping up any gaps in your national insurance record to maximise what you're entitled to,' he says. 'Deferring your state pension can boost the amount you get, though it won't help with uprating in frozen countries. 'Most importantly, building a strong private pension pot can help provide the financial cushion you'll need to maintain your standard of living abroad, regardless of state pension freezes. 'It is worth considering seeking advice from a financial adviser to fully understand the implications of retiring abroad and plan accordingly.' Last year, a This is Money reader asked whether the then very new Labour government would end the freeze on state pensions if you move to some countries. Well-connected pension industry expert Henry Tapper, chair of AgeWage, replied: 'I'm sorry but I can give you no expectation that the Labour Government will be any more generous on this matter than its predecessors. 'While no civil servant I spoke to ruled out the possibility of rules changing, no one would give you any hope and the Labour party manifesto is silent on this matter.' Tapper noted: 'If you return to the UK or go to live in a country where the UK does pay state pension increases to UK expats, you can have increases for the time you are resident at your new location.' Regarding the 70-year history of state pension uprating overseas, he said: 'Whether you get state pension increases (lately with the triple-lock) or not, depends on a tax-treaty lottery. Some countries, including the US and Switzerland have treaties, some don't.' Tapper quoted a Government response to a petition which put the cost of paying expat pension increases between 2023 and 2028 at over £4.5billion, and a research briefing to MPs which stated: 'The Government has no plans to change the policy on up-rating UK state pensions overseas; the policy is longstanding and has been supported by successive Governments for over 70 years.' Will you get state pension rises if you retire abroad? Where are state pensions frozen? Whether an expat's pension is frozen or not depends entirely on where they move (Source: International Consortium of British Pensioners)
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Aussie tennis great Jelena Dokic opens up on her 'complicated' relationship with her late father after his recent death
Australian tennis great Jelena Dokic has opened up about the death of her estranged father, Damir Dokic, calling the grief 'difficult and complicated'. The 67-year-old passed away on May 16, 2025, following a decade-long estrangement from his daughter. Jelena made the announcement through a heartfelt social media post, revealing the mixed emotions she felt. 'It is never easy losing a parent and a father, even one you are estranged from,' she wrote. Her words struck a chord with many who have followed her painful family history. Jelena's early tennis success came under the shadow of a deeply troubled relationship with her father. As her coach, Damir was both controlling and abusive, subjecting her to emotional and physical torment behind the scenes. In her memoir Unbreakable, Jelena revealed he once kicked her for losing a match and threatened her with a gun. His violent outbursts extended beyond their household - he was banned from tournaments like Wimbledon for aggressive behaviour. Jelena eventually cut ties in 2002 and has not spoken to her father for nearly ten years. Even so, the moment of his passing hit her with unexpected complexity. 'Maybe not even grief, but more so like closure or a chapter that's kind of finished,' she told NewsWire. She explained she was swamped with work when the news broke and had little space to process the loss. In quieter moments, however, surrounded by her close friends - her 'ride or dies' - Jelena has begun unpacking the layers of that grief. Her childhood was defined by secrets, shame, and silence. She hid her abuse for years, building emotional walls that were hard to tear down. She also struggled to form friendships during her playing days. 'Some victims of and survivors of domestic violence and abuse… are not allowed to make friends,' she said. Jelena was one of them. Her father controlled who she spoke to and isolated her during her most formative years. Now in her 40s, she is slowly rewriting that narrative. She speaks openly about what she endured to help others who may be suffering in silence. 'I always believed I can get to that stage where one day I can smile,' she said. Her journey has not been easy. Jelena has battled depression, PTSD, anxiety, and eating disorders throughout her life. Even now, social media trolls continue to send abuse, but she's learned to deal with them. 'I see one vile sentence, I delete straight away,' she said. Her resilience has become her strength. She's not only survived abuse, but she has emerged as one of Australia's leading voices on mental health, domestic violence, and bullying. Jelena wants people to know they are not alone.
