Qantas Contacted by Hackers Responsible for Data Breach Affecting Millions of Customers
A company spokesperson confirmed Qantas is working to validate this, adding that since it's a criminal matter, "we won't be commenting any further on the detail of the contact." There's also no evidence that any of the stolen information has been released, the company said in an email.
Bad actors gained access to customers' names, email addresses, phone numbers, birthdates and frequent flyer numbers via a third-party platform used by a Qantas call center. In the wrong hands, this data could lead to phishing attacks and eventually identity theft or fraud.
Credit card details, personal financial information and passport details are not held in the breached system, according to Qantas.
"We sincerely apologise to our customers and we recognise the uncertainty this will cause." CEO Vanessa Hudson said in a statement. "We are contacting our customers today and our focus is on providing them with the necessary support."
Qantas is Australia's largest airline, with frequent international flights serving Europe, Asia and the US.
Qantas is working with local Australian authorities and specialized cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident detected on June 30. Customers can contact Qantas dedicated support line on 1800-971-541 or +61 2 8028 0534.
Qantas did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment.
What if I was affected by this breach?
Qantas is continuing to investigate the full impact of this breach, though it says it expects the amount of data stolen to be "significant."
For now, we know that some personal information, including names, email addresses and phone numbers have been stolen. Because of this, you should be wary of phishing attacks aimed at tricking you into coughing up more of your data or scamming you out of your money.
As Qantas contacts impacted customers, it may offer free identity theft and credit monitoring tools. My advice is to take advantage of this. Coverage tends to last for 12 months, and offers a good way to keep a pulse on your identity online.
You can also sign up for identity theft protection on your own after the offer expires. In the meantime, look over your credit reports for signs of identity theft, including suspicious accounts you did not open.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Boy, 9, shot during hunting trip: police
A child has been hospitalised after allegedly being shot during a hunting trip near Bourke overnight. Police commenced an investigation after a boy, 9, suffered a gunshot wound to his right thigh on Friday night. He was taken to Bourke Hospital about 7.15pm that night. Officers attached to Central North Police District have been told the boy was injured while on a hunting trip with nine others at a property about 40km north of Bourke. 'Police have spoken with the group, which comprises four boys, aged between nine and 15, and five men, aged between 37 and 63. All are from Victoria,' a NSW Police spokesman said. 17 firearms - including air rifles, rifles and a shotgun – have been seized. Inquiries into the incident and the group's firearms licences are ongoing. More to come.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Security, trade in focus as Australia PM Albanese heads to China
By Kirsty Needham SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese leaves for Shanghai on Saturday on an official visit to China where regional security tensions and efforts to grow economic ties are likely to dominate talks. Australia's exports to China, its largest trading partner, span agriculture and energy but are dominated by iron ore, and Albanese will travel with executives from mining giants Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortescue and hold business events in three cities over six days. "The relationship in China means jobs in Australia, it's as simple as that," Albanese told reporters on Friday. Albanese's second visit to Beijing, where he will meet President Xi Jinping, comes after Canberra stepped up screening of Chinese investment in critical minerals and as U.S. President Donald Trump rattles the global economy with sweeping import tariffs. Albanese is yet to meet Trump, after scheduled talks at the G7 were cancelled when the U.S. president left early. The United States, Australia's major security ally, is reviewing the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership amid concern selling submarines to Australia could weaken U.S. deterrence to China. Foreign Minister Penny Wong warned in a speech in Malaysia on Thursday that China continues to project military power regionally with an objective to change the balance of power, saying Beijing's nuclear and conventional military build-up was "worrying". AUKUS contributed to "collective deterrence in our region," she said. Richard Maude, an Asia Society non-resident fellow and former Australian intelligence chief, said Albanese needed to expand the economic relationship with China but also "get through the visit in a way that makes clear to Australia's close partners and to the Australian public that Australia is talking clearly and frankly to China about aspects of China's behaviour that concern us". The Chinese navy held live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand with no advance warning in February, and there have been tense encounters between Australian and Chinese military aircraft in the disputed South China Sea. While Beijing is keen to move ties forward, its proposals for cooperation on artificial intelligence, for example, have already met with a cool response, said Maude, who wrote Australia's 2017 foreign policy white paper. Australia's two-way trade with China was worth A$312 billion last year, or a quarter of all Australian trade. Ties have stabilised since 2020 when China imposed unofficial bans on A$20 billion in Australian exports. Direct engagement with Chinese leaders was important for Australia's security, Albanese told reporters on Friday. "We cooperate where we can and we disagree where we must, and we're able to have those honest conversations about some of the disagreements that are there," he said. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has said economic ties with China are a priority, but also complex. Australia's increased screening of Chinese investment in critical minerals, renewable energy and key infrastructure is likely to be raised by Beijing, company executives told Reuters, although on Tuesday Chalmers said Australia would not ease its scrutiny. "The government understands it is not in Australia's national interest to further increase China's stranglehold on the critical minerals supply chain," said Maude. Geoff Raby, a former Australian ambassador to China, said China would probably raise its ambition to join the 11-member regional trade pact, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which Australia chairs. "The most harmful thing is to adopt policies that force China to become more isolationist or which encourage those domestic forces in China who favour more inward-looking policies," Raby said. Albanese will meet businesses in Shanghai on Monday, before travelling to Beijing for an annual leaders' dialogue with Premier Li Qiang, and a company roundtable, and then head to the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
CRIME TREND: At least 40 Facebook Marketplace thefts reported in Dayton this year
Jul. 11—Dayton police are urging residents to use safe exchange zones when buying or selling items online after dozens of Facebook Marketplace thefts have been reported this year. Police have recorded at least 40 Facebook Marketplace thefts this year but estimate there are more victims who haven't come forward. "A lot of times people are embarrassed to call," said Lt. Randy Beane. "They're embarrassed to say that they drove here from Indiana, and they got scammed out of $5,000 trying to deliver their ATV." This year, the following Facebook Marketplace thefts have been reported in Dayton: — January: 2 — February: 3 — March: 12 — April: 2 — May: 8 — June: 9 — July: 4 Dayton police did not start tracking Facebook Marketplace thefts until the end of January, so additional cases may have been reported. Scammers typically target highly coveted items, such as ATVs, gaming devices and electronic devices. The prices can range from about $500 to $10,000. "One of the common things we're seeing is that the person is willing to pay top market price or pay additional money for the person to deliver it to Dayton," Beane said. Scammers may offer an additional $600 for a delivery fee and sellers think they're getting a great deal. But when they come to Dayton the scammer will hand them an envelope full of fake money, Beane said. "If it's an ATV they'll ride off on the ATV or they'll steal the gaming device, or whatever electronic device it is, and the person will be out that money," he said. People buying or selling items online can use the safe exchange zones outside Dayton police stations to avoid being scammed. The safe exchange zones are located at: — 951 Washington St. — 417 E. Helena St. — 2721 Wayne Ave. — 248 Salem Ave. Beane said Facebook Marketplace thefts often happen at public places people think are safe, such as a school or park. Recovering stolen items is difficult because scammers use fake accounts and then close them once they're done, he said. Then, they'll create a new account and repeat the process. Recording an item's serial or VIN number can help investigators return stolen items, Beane said. Facebook Marketplace thefts have been an issue in Dayton for the last few years, he added. In January, an 18-year-old was indicted on five counts of aggravated robbery in connection with Facebook Marketplace thefts. Ashton Brooks is accused of luring multiple people to Elmwood Avenue to buy an Xbox. When the buyer arrived, Brooks would allegedly use a gun and rob them of their money or trade items, according to Dayton Municipal Court records. Brooks was tied to four robberies reported in December and one in January, officials said. His trial is scheduled for Nov. 3.
