Australian consumer lender Latitude Financial has reported a significant data breach, with 14 million customer records—including driver’s licenses, passports, and financial statements—stolen in a cyber attack.
Initially, the company disclosed the hacking incident in mid-March, but downplayed the extent of its effects. A subsequent forensic review indicated that around 7.9 million driver license numbers from Australia and New Zealand were compromised, with approximately 3.2 million (or 40%) issued in the past decade. In addition, roughly 53,000 passport numbers and 100 monthly statements were also taken. Furthermore, about 6.1 million records dating back to at least 2005 were accessed, with around 5.7 million (or 94%) created before 2013.
The stolen records contain various types of personal information, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth.
Latitude Financial CEO Ahmed Fahour expressed his disappointment, stating, “It is hugely disappointing that such a significant number of additional customers and applicants have been affected by this incident. We apologise unreservedly.” He emphasized the company’s commitment to assisting affected individuals, offering to cover the costs if they choose to replace their ID documents, and pledging a comprehensive review of the circumstances surrounding the breach.
In response to the incident, the company took several systems offline and is currently unable to address specific customer account inquiries. Fahour mentioned that employees are working tirelessly to restore operations.