Scamwatch is urgently warning Australians to be on the lookout for increased scam activity following the recent Optus data breach and to take steps to protect themselves.
About the Optus data breach
The information that has been released in the data breach includes:
- your name
- date of birth
- phone numbers
- email addresses,
- residential addresses, and
- identity document numbers. For example, driver’s licence, Medicare or passport numbers are all information that are used to identify you.
Serious damage can occur when your information winds up in the wrong hands, but there are steps we can take to protect ourselves. Scamwatch urges everyone to be cautious and remain alert to potential scams.
IDCARE has a dedicated support page to assist Optus customers impacted by the data breach. While there are real and serious risks, there are ways to protect ourselves.
All consumers and businesses should look out for scams
- Scammers will use the data breach and target people in any way that they can. This means you will likely notice an increased number of phishing emails, phone calls, and SMS or social media messages.
- Be wary of new communications and don’t just accept what you’re being told. Take your time, do your research, and independently contact the purported business or agency communicating with you, using contact details you have sourced yourself, for example through searching…
