We've been outed.

harryopal

We've been outed.... at least us Australians have been. "Australians are the most stupidest humans alive " This according to a Russian hacker as reported in an ABC story today about hacking. It is a story of interest for anyone using the internet. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-17/cybercrime-hacker-chats-about-medibank-revil-russia-ukraine/102179776

spicyayam

At least in this regard, I don't think the stupidest, but Australian companies are very lax when it comes to data security. The people in government and the CEOs of these companies have no clue when it comes to cyber security. Companies in Australia are collecting too much personal data and they retain the data even if you stop using the service. You should be able to request personal data to be removed if you are no longer a customer.

harryopal

It is absolutely appalling that Westpac and Commonwealth banks have only very recently required checking of an account name with an account number when transfers are made. This will not stop scamming by any means but previously a scammer could use the name of a legitimate company and then use the scammers account number making it so easy to trick victims. It says much about the contempt which banks have for their customers that they have allowed the former state of affairs to go on for so long. A couple of years ago I applied for a visa to Myanmar using what seemed to be a government website. I rang Westpac to stop the transfer and was told I would have to wait 24 hours before anything could be done. At least the amount of money was not great and after making a serious fuss the bank said as a gesture of "goodwill" they would compensate me. I am not at all sure they would have been so responsive had it been a large amount. What was particularly irksome was the bank rang the scammers who said they had provided a service. In the first instance the bank just accepted the word of the scammers. As Spicyayam observes, "The people in government and the CEOs of these companies have no clue when it comes to cyber security."