By Marcus Uhe
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Scamwatch is warning Optus customers to be on the look out for scams and take steps to secure their personal information following a cyber-attack, which has resulted in the release of Optus customers’ personal information.
Names, date of birth, phone numbers, and email addresses of Optus customers may have been released, and for some customers identity document numbers such as driver’s licence or passport numbers could be in the hands of criminals, the ACCC said.
“It is important to be aware that you be may be at risk of identity theft and take urgent action to prevent harm,” the ACCC said in a statement on Thursday 22 September.
“Optus customers should take immediate steps to secure all of their accounts, particularly their bank and financial accounts.
“You should also monitor for unusual activity on your accounts and watch out for contact by scammers.”
Optus released a statement on Thursday 22 September saying it immediately shut down the attack upon its discovery.
“Optus is working with the Australian Cyber Security Centre to mitigate any risks to customers,” the statement read.
“Optus has also notified the Australian Federal Police, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and key regulators.”
Advice offered by the ACCC to protect your personal information include:
• Secure your devices and monitor for unusual activity
• Change your online account passwords and enable multi factor authentication for banking
• Check your accounts for unusual activity such as items you haven’t purchased
• Place limits on your accounts or ask you bank how you can secure your money
• If you suspect fraud you can request a ban on your credit report.
Optus assured customers that services, including mobile and home internet, are not affected, and messages and voice calls have not been compromised.
“Optus services remain safe to use and operate as per normal,” they said.
“Payment detail and account passwords have not been compromised.”
Scammers may use personal information to contact customers by phone, text or email, the ACCC warned.
“Never click on links or provide personal or financial information to someone who contacts you out of the blue,” the ACCC said.
“Learn how to protect yourself from scams by visiting scamwatch.gov.au”
If you are concerned that your identity has been compromised or you have been a victim of a scam contact your bank immediately and call IDCARE on 1800 595 160.
IDCARE is Australia’s national identity and cyber support service, to get expert advice from a specialist identity and cyber security service.
You can also report scams to Scamwatch scamwatch.gov.au and check cyber.gov.au for information about cyber security.
If you believe your account has been compromised, contact Optus, via My Optus App, or call 133 937 for consumer customers and 133 343 for business customers.
To read Optus’ statement in full, head to optus.com.au/about/media-centre/media-releases/2022/09/optus-notifies-customers-of-cyberattack
