About 900,000 Origin Energy customers affected by hack as company admits it was warned weeks before public told
News Source
β’Tue, 28 Jul 2026 05:41:39 GMT
π° What Happened
Origin Energy, Australia's largest energy retailer, has admitted that a data breach affected 900,000 current and former customers. The company also revealed it was warned about the hack three weeks before it publicly disclosed the breach. The stolen data may include names, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, account information, and partial credit card or bank account details.
Origin CEO Frank Calabria apologized and warned customers to watch out for suspicious activity and a heightened risk of scams. The company has 4.8 million customer accounts in Australia, providing electricity, gas, LPG, and internet services. A 'significant' proportion of the affected 900,000 are former customers, who will be notified in the coming days.
π The Backstory
Data breaches have become increasingly common in Australia and worldwide. Major Australian companies that have suffered significant breaches include Optus, Medibank, and Latitude Financial. These incidents have led to calls for stronger data protection laws and heavier penalties for companies that fail to protect customer data.
Origin Energy is a major player in Australia's energy market, serving millions of households and businesses. The delay between discovering the breach and informing the public raises questions about the company's transparency and compliance with notifiable data breach laws. Under Australian law, companies must notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner when a data breach is likely to cause serious harm.
π― Why It Matters
If you are an Origin Energy customer, your personal data may be in criminals hands. This means higher risk of identity theft and scams. The three-week notification delay gave scammers more time to exploit the data.
Origin Energy, Australia's largest energy retailer, has admitted that a data breach affected 900,000 current and former customers. The company also revealed it was warned about the hack three weeks before it publicly disclosed the breach. The stolen data may include names, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, account information, and partial credit card or bank account details.
Origin CEO Frank Calabria apologized and warned customers to watch out for suspicious activity and a heightened risk of scams. The company has 4.8 million customer accounts in Australia, providing electricity, gas, LPG, and internet services. A 'significant' proportion of the affected 900,000 are former customers, who will be notified in the coming days.
Data breaches have become increasingly common in Australia and worldwide. Major Australian companies that have suffered significant breaches include Optus, Medibank, and Latitude Financial. These incidents have led to calls for stronger data protection laws and heavier penalties for companies that fail to protect customer data.
Origin Energy is a major player in Australia's energy market, serving millions of households and businesses. The delay between discovering the breach and informing the public raises questions about the company's transparency and compliance with notifiable data breach laws. Under Australian law, companies must notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner when a data breach is likely to cause serious harm.
If you are an Origin Energy customer, your personal data may be in criminals hands. This means higher risk of identity theft and scams. The three-week notification delay gave scammers more time to exploit the data.