Tangerine Telecom Data Breach Exposes Customer Details: Cyber Incident Impacts 230,000 Accounts

Melbourne-based Tangerine Telecom, known as the exclusive telecommunications partner of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, has fallen victim to a significant data breach. Over 230,000 customer accounts have been compromised, exposing outdated personal information.

The breach, involving a legacy database, was first detected on Sunday and reported to Tangerine’s management on Wednesday. The leaked data includes customer’s full names, dates of birth, mobile numbers, postal addresses, and email addresses.

The breach was traced back to a single contractor engaged by Tangerine, leading to unauthorized disclosure of customer data dating back nearly five years. Information from about 232,000 accounts, ranging from June 2019 to July 2023, has been impacted.

Tangerine Telecom’s CEO, Andrew Branson, expressed regret over the breach and reassured customers that steps have been taken to prevent further unauthorized access. The company promptly notified the Australian Cyber Security Centre and engaged external cybersecurity specialists to investigate the incident.

A letter has been sent to affected customers, cautioning them about potential risks of scams or phishing attacks due to the data disclosure incident. Tangerine emphasized that critical information such as credit card numbers, driver’s licenses, and bank account details were not compromised.

This breach comes in the wake of several high-profile cyber incidents across various industries in Australia. Companies, including Optus and Medibank, have faced similar data breaches in recent years, raising concerns about data security and customer privacy.