Origin Energy disclosed a data breach affecting an unspecified portion of its 4.8 million Australian customer accounts. The compromised information includes names, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, and Origin account details. Partial financial information was also accessed, including the last four digits of credit cards or the last three digits of bank accounts. The company stated that incomplete credit card or bank account data cannot be used to make purchases or complete transactions.
A person claiming responsibility for the breach contacted media outlets with unverified assertions that 2 million customer records were accessed. Origin has not yet confirmed the precise number of affected customers or provided details regarding how the breach occurred. The company initially indicated that complete credit card or bank details had not been compromised, though it later confirmed that some partial financial information was accessed.
Origin Chief Executive Frank Calabria acknowledged the incident and apologized to customers, stating the company was working with independent cyber experts to secure its systems. Multiple Australian authorities are involved in the investigation, including the Australian Cyber Security Centre, Australian Federal Police, and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. The National Office of Cyber Security is coordinating the government response.
Security experts have cautioned that compromised personal information poses risks for identity theft and targeted scams. Cybersecurity researcher Rumpa Dasgupta warned that detailed customer records could be exploited for phishing campaigns and physical crimes such as burglary targeting vulnerable properties. The breach adds to a growing trend of significant data incidents in Australia, with 1,205 breach notifications reported during 2025, of which 716 involved malicious or criminal activity.
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