If you’re an Origin Energy customer, now might be a good time to keep a close eye on your inbox and bank account.
The energy giant has confirmed a major cyber attack that may have exposed the personal information of around 900,000 current and former customers, prompting an urgent warning for Australians to be on the lookout for scams and suspicious activity.
What Happened?
Origin Energy says it recently uncovered unauthorised access to one of its customer systems during a cyber incident.
While investigations are still underway, the company believes names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, dates of birth and some account details may have been accessed. In some cases, partial bank account or credit card information may also have been exposed, although Origin says this information cannot be used to make purchases on its own.
What Should Customers Do?
Origin is urging customers to stay alert for unexpected emails, text messages or phone calls claiming to be from the company or other trusted organisations.
Cyber criminals often use stolen personal information to create convincing phishing scams, so it’s important not to click suspicious links or provide passwords or verification codes.
The company says it is contacting affected customers directly and has engaged cybersecurity experts while working with the Australian Cyber Security Centre to investigate the breach.
