Imagine you’re on holiday, enjoying the sights and sounds of a beautiful foreign country…until you find out that your identity has been stolen and $8,500 has been depleted from your bank.

This happened to Alex, an Optus user, during his holiday in Croatia in July 2023.


According to him, he woke up to the reality that two of his bank accounts and a credit card had been compromised.

Alex's first course of action was to contact his bank to find the root of the problem.


He was informed that security access codes had been sent to his mobile phone number to authorise those transactions.

Alex was shocked when he realised that his Australian Optus SIM was found to be inaccessible, showing SOS mode.


Confused, Alex reached out to Optus on July 20, 2023, suspecting that his number had been stolen or assigned to a new SIM.

But, Optus dismissed his fears, attributing his situation to mobile network issues in Croatia, not due to his number being ported. Messages from Optus continued to assure Alex that his number hadn’t been used elsewhere.

When Alex landed back in Australia, it was confirmed that there was a replacement SIM card for his number, issued on July 18, 2023, at an Optus store.

However, to port a number, it is understood that Optus should’ve requested 100 points of identification and authorisation through the existing SIM, following the rules set out in the Telecommunications (Mobile Number Pre-Porting Additional Identity Verification) Industry Standard 2020.

It was discovered that a store manager greenlit the request without these essential measures of verification.

After a stress-ridden ordeal and spoilt holidays, thankfully, Alex's bank accounts were refunded and his numbers reinstated.


But the aftermath of this identity theft brings a pressing question—with such preventive measures in place, how are these frauds still happening?

There is an industry-wide concern about 'SIM-swap fraud'.

'[This] occurs when a scammer takes control of a consumer's mobile number by using their personal details to request a new SIM, continues to be an industry-wide concern. Our customer care experts have been in touch with the customer to try and resolve the situation,' a spokesperson from Optus said.

Identity fraud experts argue that two-factor authentication provides more safety than a password alone. Still, how can this be an effective measure in protecting our bank accounts and other sensitive online information if telecom providers don't follow this protocol correctly?

Below are some steps users can take to protect themselves further:

• Check all of your online accounts for suspicious activity and cancel any bank cards that may have been compromised.
• Place a temporary ban on your credit reports via email with Australia's three credit agencies Experian, Illion, and Equifax.
• If your driver's licence details have been compromised, report this to the relevant body in your state.

Members, what are your thoughts on this incident? Let us know in the comments below.