.Optus customers whose passport or driver’s licence numbers were stolen in a massive data breach are being contacted, amid warnings that scammers will try to profit from the cyber attack. 7NEWS
“The AFP is using specialist capability to monitor the dark web and other technologies, and will not hesitate to take action against those who are breaking the law,” a spokesperson said.Optus is warning customers not to click on SMS or email links purporting to be from the telco. Optus also warned its announcement of the cyber attack on Thursday could trigger a rush of scams by criminals, including phishing calls, emails and text messages.
“As the cyber attack is now under investigation by the Australian Federal Police, Optus cannot comment on certain aspects of the incident,” it said. “Given the investigation, Optus will not comment on the legitimacy of customer data claimed to be held by third parties and urges all customers to exercise caution in their online transactions and dealings.”
No passwords or financial details were compromised in the attack, which Optus vice president Andrew Sheridan described on Friday as “very sophisticated”.Optus, which began contacting millions of customers on Friday, has apologised for the breach. The telco said getting information out through news channels was the “quickest and most effective way” to alert customers and communicate the severity of the situation.