Key Points
- A man has been charged for allegedly attempting to misuse stolen Optus customer data in a text message blackmail scam.
- The man is not suspected of being the hacker, but allegedly tried to financially benefit from the situation.
A Sydney man has been charged for allegedly attempting to use in a text message blackmail scam.
The Australian Federal Police said the man was not suspected of being the individual responsible for the Optus breach, but allegedly tried to financially benefit from stolen data uploaded to an online forum.
The investigation was sparked when the AFP became aware of a number of text messages demanding some Optus customers transfer $2,000 to a bank account or face their personal information being used for financial crimes.
The AFP identified a bank account, which was in the name of a young adult, and will allege it was being used by the man.
The data used by the alleged offender to identify these customers was from the 10,200 stolen records posted online after last month’s breach.
Police said it will be alleged in court that text messages were sent to 93 Optus customers who had their data exposed on an internet forum. The force added it appeared none of the individuals who received the text message transferred money to the account.
The 19-year-old is scheduled to appear in Sydney Central Local Court at a later date and will face two offences that carry a maximum penalty of 10 and 7 years’ imprisonment.
