Scamwatch said scammers will contact telco customers “anyway they can” as fall-out from last week’s data breach continues.
“You will likely notice an increased number of phishing emails, phone calls, and SMS or social media messages,” the government agency said, before posting photos of four scams they’ve been alerted too.
In one text message an Optus customer is told the telco is issuing new simcards, and is urged to book delivery.
“Optus is not contacting people about issuing new sim cards. Delete these messages,” Scamwatch said.
Similarly, Scamwatch said if a victim receive correspondence purporting to be from the telco about “an issue” with a bill, it’s likely false.
“Optus is not contacting people about their bills and asking you to update your information,” it said.
The agency said they’ve also received reports of scammers pretending to be the hackers responsible for the data breach, which happened on the National Day of Mourning.
“If you receive demands to pay money with a threat that your information will be released, delete the message,” it said.
“There is no financial restitution being sent to individuals caught in the data breach at this time,” Scamwatch said.
The data breach exposed personal data of millions of Australians, including:
- Names
- Date of births
- Phone numbers
- Email addresses,
- Residential addresses, and
- Identity document numbers such as driver’s licences, Medicare and passport numbers
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has questioned why the telco kept so much personal information on record.
The federal government wants to introduce laws to stop companies hoarding our personal information and they’ll face hefty fines if they misuse or don’t properly store that data.
In the meantime, Dreyfus urged all Optus customers to be vigilant.
“Do not click on any links in a text message,” he said.
“Check all website sources – just check that it is an official website before taking any future action.
“If you are unsure about why you are being asked to divulge private information, stop and verify who the person or organisation is that is making that request of you.”
Scamwatch said victims of the hack should also ”inform your bank and superannuation fund immediately”.
Optus has engaged the cybersecurity company IDCare to support customers with their data exposed.
Scammer’s plot brought undone by several glaring mistakes in text message