Get ready for multi-factor authentication

Being online is important to us all, so is the security of our personal information. In recent times there’s been an increase in fraudulent activity in Australia such as malware attacks, love scams and scams involving mobile phones called “SIM swapping”, where a person’s mobile phone is ported from its rightful owner.

Optus will be taking extra steps to confirm the identity of our customers as part of the recent Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) Telecommunications Service Provider (Customer Identity Authentication) Determination.

When you contact us or we contact you to chat about those topics, we’ll be taking extra steps to confirm you’re you. To start the conversation, you may need to confirm your date of birth, Optus username, mobile number or contact email. We’ll then send you a one-time only code to the mobile number or email address we have saved on your account. Once you’ve confirmed your code, we’re ready to chat. What is multi-factor authentication?

We’re going the extra mile to make sure your Optus account is more secure than ever before. That’s why we’re introducing multi-factor authentication, so you can continue to enjoy the same peace of mind you can always expect from us when it comes to the safety of your personal information. Sometimes you might need to get in touch with us about the below topics:

• Your personal information
• A potential change of ownership or SIM swap
• Your account while you’re overseas
• New product or service purchases

To enable multi-factor authentication and to better protect your Optus account, you’ll need to make sure your account and personal information is up to date today.

Not everyone is familiar with the term SIM swapping but until recently many people have been at risk. Scammers get access to their victims’ personal information by fraudulently requesting a telco to port their phone number to a new SIM, which effectively swaps who can access that service. Once the fraudulent SIM swap has occurred, the scammer will receive calls and SMSs intended for the real owner of the phone number. This means, not only will the scammer have access to the owner’s passwords and account details, but in some instances, their online bank accounts.

That’s why it’s so important for Optus customers to get ready for multi-factor authentication.

If you think your financial services have been compromised, contact your financial institutions immediately.

To find out more about scams or report at scam go to Scamwatch and the Optus Cyber Security Information page.