Personal and banking details among customer data stolen in Origin Energy hack
Origin Energy has confirmed that hackers accessed customer data including names, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers and some bank account details, in a breach affecting an unknown number of its 4.8 million Australian customer accounts. The incident matters because it is the latest in a string of major data breaches at Australian companies, raising fresh concerns about identity theft, targeted scams and even physical crimes such as burglary, according to cybersecurity experts.
The company said the stolen data may include incomplete card or bank details, such as the last four digits of a credit card or last three digits of a bank account, which it says cannot be used to make purchases or access accounts. A person claiming responsibility for the hack has told media outlets, without verification, that 2 million customers were affected. Origin's chief executive, Frank Calabria, apologised and said the firm was working with cyber experts and authorities, including the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the federal police and the privacy commissioner, to secure its systems. The breach follows other high-profile incidents, including a Qantas hack last October affecting 5 million customers, with Australia's privacy regulator recording 1,205 data breach notifications in 2025.
In short
- Origin Energy hack exposed customers' names, addresses and bank details.
- Number of affected customers among 4.8m accounts still unconfirmed.
- Follows other major Australian breaches, including Qantas's hack last year.
Explained simply
Origin Energy is Australia's largest electricity and gas retailer, serving millions of customers. The company has confirmed that hackers gained unauthorised access to its systems and stole personal customer data in a significant security breach.
The compromised information includes names, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers and incomplete banking details such as the last four digits of credit cards. Whilst the company says this partial financial information cannot be used to make fraudulent purchases or access accounts, cybersecurity experts warn that personal data can be exploited for identity theft and targeted scams.
This breach is the latest in a series of major data breaches affecting large Australian companies. Similar recent incidents have exposed millions of customer records, raising concerns about data security and the risks to consumers including identity fraud, scams and other crimes when personal details are compromised.
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