The Australia Post scam every Aussie needs to know about before buying their Christmas presents

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Aussies are being warned not to fall for an elaborate Australia Post scam while buying Christmas presents for loved ones this year. 

Australia Post has urged customers not to be fooled by scammers posing as interested buyers on Facebook Marketplace. 

The scammer tells the seller they will pay for the item once the postage has been organised and then sends a link or a QR code via Facebook Messenger. 

If the link is clicked, it leads the seller to a phoney Australia Post courier service where they are prompted to pay for a courier to collect the buyer's purchased item. 

However, the site does not provide any postal service, instead, it steals the financial and personal information of the person entering their details for the fake courier. 

Research by Australia Post found more than 90 per cent of Australians had received a scam text or call from scammers pretending to be from the postal service. 

The service added that almost 75 per cent of customers had reported scammers trying to impersonate an Australia Post shipping or delivery service. 

Australia Post chief information security officer Adam Cartwright urged Aussies to ignore any messages requesting payment information or personal details. 

Australia Post is urging Aussies to be vigilant ahead of the festive season as customers are being targeted in a new elaborate scam

Scammers are infiltrating sites like Facebook Market place and posing a interested buyers, sending victims a link or QR code to fake Australia Post courier services websites

One of the fake QR codes used by scammers is pictured

'As the pre-Christmas sales ramp up and more Aussies are expecting deliveries, scammers are exploiting that anticipation and urgency to trick people into clicking fake links or handing over personal information,' Mr Cartwright told 9News.

'If you receive a message asking for personal or payment details, you can be confident it's not from us.'

Mr Cartwright said the best way to track a parcel was through the courier's official AusPost app. 

He added Australia Post does not request any personal or financial information through text message, email or via the phone. 

Customers should immediately report a scam or scammer if they are asked for their passwords, credit card information or bank details via call, text or email.

It comes as Australia Post has also warned of a resurgence of an elaborate scheme known as the 'Dracula' scam. 

Customers receive fraudulent messages purportedly sent by Australia Post, saying their delivery had failed due to an invalid postcode.

Aussies are then asked to click on a link to a page that appears similar to the postal service's website and asked to provide personal information.

The sophisticated scam uses end-to-end encrypted messaging channels, which allows scammers to bypass traditional detections, Australia Post said.