A Sydney man has been arrested for allegedly attempting to blackmail Optus customers exposed in the recent data breach.
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The breach left the sensitive data of millions of Australians at risk. Optus on Monday revealed more than 2.1 million customers had their ID documents exposed.
The 19 year old from Rockdale has been charged for allegedly attempting to misuse stolen Optus customer data in a text message blackmail scam.
The investigation was sparked when Australian Federal Police became aware of a number of text messages demanding some Optus customers transfer $2000 to a bank account or face their personal information being used for financial crimes. The data used to identify these customers was from 10,200 stolen records posted online after last month's Optus breach.
The AFP identified a bank account, which was in the name of a juvenile, and will allege it was being used by the man.
A search warrant was executed at a Rockdale home on Thursday morning where a mobile phone was seized.
It will be alleged in court text messages were sent to 93 Optus customers. At this stage it appears none of the individuals transferred money.
The 19 year old is scheduled to appear in Sydney Central Local Court at a later date to face two offences that carry a maximum penalty of 10 and seven years' imprisonment.
AFP's Assistant Commissioner Cyber Command Justine Gough said the man was not suspected of being the individual responsible for the Optus breach but allegedly tried to financially benefit from the stolen data.
"Last week, the AFP and our state and territory partners launched Operation Guardian to protect the most vulnerable customers affected by the Optus breach and we were absolutely clear that there would be no tolerance for the criminal use of this stolen data,'' she said.
"I want to be very clear - and there are two messages today that I want to underscore.
"The AFP has diverted significant resources to protect those customers at risk from identify fraud. We understand how worried some members of the community are, and I want to give the community reassurance that the AFP and our partners are working around the clock to help protect your personal information.
"Secondly, the warning is clear. Do not test the capability or dedication of law enforcement. The AFP, our state partners and industry are relentlessly scouring forums and other online sites for criminal activity linked to this breach. Just because there has been one arrest does not mean there won't be more."
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Assistant Commissioner Gough said the investigation into the alleged offender responsible for the breach was being aggressively pursued.
Nearly two weeks after Optus first made its cyber incident public knowledge former and current customers are being told to monitor their personal accounts, change passports and even urgently cancel official documents, such as passports and drivers' licences.
Optus has agreed to front the costs of replacing the passports and licences of its affected customers, after mounting political pressure.
