Australian energy major Origin Energy has confirmed that attackers gained unauthorised access to customer information, exposing personal details and partial financial identifiers. The company is still determining how many people were affected and how the intrusion occurred.
TL;DR
- Origin confirmed unauthorised access to and disclosure of some customer data after initially describing the incident as potential.
- Exposed information may include names, addresses, birth dates, phone numbers, account data and partial card or bank-account numbers.
- An alleged hacker claims two million records were taken, but Origin has not verified that figure and its investigation remains active.
What Origin Energy Confirmed
Origin Energy confirmed the breach on July 23, one day after telling customers and the Australian Securities Exchange that it was investigating a possible security incident.
The company said the affected information may include customers’ names, addresses, dates of birth, contact phone numbers and Origin account details. It also acknowledged that the exposed data could include the last four digits of a credit card or the last three digits of a bank account.
Origin stressed that these incomplete financial details cannot be used to make purchases or access customer accounts. However, the combination of personal and account information could still help criminals construct convincing phishing messages, impersonate company representatives or attempt identity fraud.
“I’m sorry this has happened. Customers trust Origin with their information, and I apologise for the impact this may cause,” said Origin Energy CEO Frank Calabria.
“One of our key priorities is taking action to secure our systems and ensure no further unauthorised access,” Calabria added.
Origin has engaged independent cybersecurity specialists and notified the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the Australian Federal Police, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and the National Office of Cyber Security. It is contacting confirmed victims and has introduced additional support resources while investigators assess the incident.
The Scale Of The Breach Remains Unclear
The exact scale remains unknown. Origin serves around 4.8 million customer accounts across electricity, gas, LPG and internet services in Australia, but it has not said how many records were accessed or disclosed.
A person claiming responsibility told media organisations that information linked to two million customers had been taken. That claim, along with reports concerning the attacker’s access method and demands, has not been independently verified or confirmed by Origin.
“Origin notes there is considerable media speculation in relation to the data security incident we are actively managing,” an Origin spokesperson said. “Our investigation is ongoing, and we currently have no further updates.”
Topics For More Insights
Australian Data Breaches Continue To Rise
The incident comes amid record levels of reported data exposure in Australia. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner received 1,205 breach notifications during 2025, an 8% increase from 1,112 in 2024.
Malicious or criminal activity accounted for 716 notifications. The regulator’s 2026 privacy survey also found that 82% of Australians identified data breaches as a concern, up from 74% in 2023.
For Origin customers, the most immediate risk may come from highly personalised scams. Messages containing a person’s real name, address or account details can appear legitimate, even when the sender is attempting to steal passwords, payment information or identification documents.
Customers should treat unexpected calls, emails and text messages claiming to be from Origin with caution, avoid opening unsolicited links and independently contact the company through its official channels. Origin said it will directly notify customers once it confirms they were affected.
