Origin Energy warns customers after revealing new details of July breach affecting 900,000 Aussies

Banking details, government concession scheme numbers, names and addresses were accessed during a major cybersecurity breach affecting about 900,000 current and former Origin Energy customers .

In an update on Friday, Australia’s largest energy retailer revealed that the full bank account numbers of about 60 customers were exposed during the July hack , and almost 100 ID document numbers were accessed.

About 15,000 customers had their government concession scheme number stolen.

Origin said that for most of the 900,000 affected customers, information accessed was a combination of names, addresses, date of births, phone numbers, and account information, as well as the last few digits of credit cards and bank accounts.

Affected customers have been provided with advice and support, and the energy company said it has brought in external cyber and forensic specialists to enhance security.

“While the criminal investigation into this incident remains ongoing, Origin is confident in the steps we have taken to respond,” Origin chief executive Frank Calabria said.

“We have substantially completed our review into the information accessed for each affected customer, and our priority is completing our notifications to them and providing support.

“We have taken a number of steps to enhance the security of our systems to prevent future incidents of this kind.”

The advice for customers is to remain on alert, especially when it comes to emails, text messages and telephone calls.

Origin warned customers to look closely at who is reaching out, because scammers often use addresses, numbers and links that “look right but may be slightly off”.

“Customers should remain vigilant to any suspicious activity and to contact us directly with any questions,” Calabria said.

The hack came during a period when a number of serious breaches were reported.

Partnered Health Group , which runs more than 60 clinics in Australia, was targeted in June, and telehealth provider Updoc , which has more than one million Australian users, was hit in July.