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Small business owners left $40,000 out of pocket after data breach
It’s important to be vigilant when it comes to safeguarding your personal information, whether online or offline.
Sadly, no matter how careful we are, there's always a chance that our hard-earned savings could be stolen if we're not aware of the latest scams and hacking trends.
We recently reported on the data breaches suffered by two major Australian companies – Optus and Medibank – which reportedly exposed sensitive customer information like names, birthdates, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.
Now it seems that some customers of these companies have already fallen victim to fraudsters who accessed their personal data without their knowledge or consent.
![Screen Shot 2022-11-14 at 11.28.07 AM.png Screen Shot 2022-11-14 at 11.28.07 AM.png](https://seniorsdiscountclub.com.au/data/attachments/8/8884-bd9761d6ebd0ee48974bccd0fcca0326.jpg)
Jimmy Marinis and Mary-Jane Daffy believe identity thieves 'piggybacked' off the Optus hack and gained access to their bank accounts. Credit: YouTube/9 News Australia.
One couple from Melbourne who was affected by the Optus hack told reporters that they had lost almost $40,000 from teller withdrawals and other fraudulent activity in just two weeks.
Cafe owners Mary-Jane Daffy and Jim Marinis said they first noticed something was wrong when $10,000 was mysteriously withdrawn from one of their bank accounts.
Mary-Jane recalled the harrowing experience to news reporters and said that everything started to 'snowball' from there.
Fraudulent credit card applications, shopping voucher requests and personal loan approvals quickly followed suit – totalling more than $60,000 in unapproved charges.
And even though some of these were eventually cancelled after being flagged by authorities, the couple has now lost almost $40,000 from teller withdrawals and admitted that the situation is getting worse.
'It's just f***ing destroying us,' said Jim, with his wife adding: 'It feels like your house is burning down, and you're locked outside, and there's nothing you can do about it.'
'It's not until it really hits you that you take it seriously.'
![Screen Shot 2022-11-14 at 11.28.00 AM.png Screen Shot 2022-11-14 at 11.28.00 AM.png](https://seniorsdiscountclub.com.au/data/attachments/8/8885-5e80ef353d602709fb260de7ed66d3d4.jpg)
Since the news of the recent data breach, more and more Australians are becoming victims of identity theft. Credit: Pexels/Sora Shimazaki.
The couple has since frozen all of their accounts until further notice.
Although the hackers have not yet been identified, they believe that their personal data was accessed after Optus' systems were breached in September.
They are now issuing a warning to other Aussies, urging them to be aware of the risks of identity theft and fraud.
Key Takeaways
- A Melbourne couple has lost $40,000 to scammers after their personal data was allegedly stolen in the Optus hack.
- The couple says they have been left feeling like their house is burning down, and there is nothing they can do about it.
- The federal government has launched a high-tech policing operation to target cybercriminals and bring them to justice.
This is a very scary situation for the couple and their family, and a harsh reminder of how easily our savings can be taken away from us if we're not careful.
Members, if you believe you may have been a victim of fraud or identity theft, it's important to act fast and report the incident to your bank or financial institution immediately. You should also contact the relevant authorities, like the Australian Federal Police, to make a formal report.
We hope that this couple is able to get their finances back in order soon, and we'll be sure to keep you updated on any new developments in this story.
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments!