Latitude Financial Financial Services data breach

13 April 2023

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is aware of a cyber incident impacting Latitude Financial Services.  

Copies of approximately 103,000 identity documents have been stolen from Latitude Financial. This includes a small number of passports.   

Latitude Financial Services is contacting impacted customers directly and continues to investigate the matter to determine the full extent of the cyber-attack.  

Foreign passports were also compromised through this cyberattack. If Latitude Financial Services have advised you that your foreign passport information was compromised, you should contact the government that issued the passport for advice on what to do.

Impacted passports are still safe to use for international travel. Your passport number cannot be used to obtain a new passport. Robust controls are used to protect passports from identity takeover, including sophisticated facial recognition technology. Further information on how your passport may be impacted can be found on the APO website(link is external).  

Advice on safeguarding your personal information can be found on the APO’s webpage on protecting against scams and identity theft(link is external).   

Customers can also seek help from IDCare(link is external), a not-for-profit organisation that specialises in providing advice and support to the Australian community in responding to identity theft.  

Advice on how to protect yourself and your family from cyber security incidents is available on the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s (ACSC) webpage at: www.cyber.gov.au(link is external)

Medibank Private/ahm and other recent data breaches - advice for foreign passport holders

Medibank Private/ahm have advised the Australian Passport Office (APO) that no Australian Travel Document information was compromised in this breach.

Foreign passports for international students were compromised through this cyberattack. Medibank Private/ahm are contacting impacted customers directly.

If Medibank Private/ahm have advised you that your foreign passport information was compromised, you should contact the government that issued the passport for advice on what to do. This is also the case for all data breaches that impact foreign passport holders, including the recent breaches at Optus and Medlab.

More information:

Medibank/ahm impacted customers:

• Call Medibank on 134 148 (within Australia) or +61 3 9862 1095 (International) 
• Contact Medibank’s 24/7 Student Health and Support line (Medibank international students call 1800 887 283 and ahm international students call 1800 006 745)
• Visit Medibank Cyber Event Updates and Support page medibank.com.au/cybersecurity
• Go to ID Care’s dedicated Medibank and ahm breach response plan).
• See the Australian Cyber Security Centre's Medibank Private alert.

Optus impacted customers:

• Contact Optus customer service directly on 133 937 (within Australia), or +612 8082 5678 (International), or go to their Passport Information(link is external) webpage.
• Go to our Frequently Asked Questions on the Optus data breach and passport information
• See the Australian Cyber Security Centre's Optus data breach(link is external) alert.

Medlab impacted customers:

Contact Medlab customer service directly on +61 1800 433 980, or go to their data breach web page(link is external).

High Commission Office Hours and Counter Service Appointments

Office Hours: 8 am to 5 pm Monday to Thursday and 8 am to 4 pm on Friday (closed from 12 pm to 2 pm during Friday Prayers), except for designated public holidays.

All visitors to the Australian High Commission require an appointment. Please book an appointment for Counter Service (passport submission and collection or notarial services) at least 24 hours before attending the High Commission. Further information is available under the Services for Australians section of this website.

For out of business hours consular assistance contact:

• +61 2 6261 3305 from overseas
• 1300 555 135 from within Australia
• +61 421 269 080 from SMS

Privacy

Policy

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) uses third-party software (Setmore) to manage the High Commission appointments. Your personal information (including your name and contact details) will be collected by DFAT via Setmore to book your appointment and for related purposes. By proceeding with this booking, you are consenting to the collection of this information by Setmore on DFAT’s behalf for these purposes. If this information is not collected, DFAT’s ability to arrange your appointment will be limited. Your personal information will be handled by Setmore in accordance with Setmore’s Privacy Policy, and by DFAT in accordance with DFAT’s Privacy Policy.

Statement

Personal information provided to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is protected by law, including the Privacy Act 1988. We may collect, use and disclose your personal information, including to overseas recipients where we reasonably believe it is necessary, to provide you with consular assistance. Important information about the privacy of your personal information is contained in our Consular Privacy Collection Statement, which you should read and understand.

Travel Advice

Travel advicefor Brunei Darussalam can be found at the Smartraveller website. The Australian High Commission, Bandar Seri Begawan, encourages all Australians living in or visiting Brunei Darussalam to subscribe to Smartraveller alerts. This is a free email service to provide you with the latest updates to our travel advice.

Current Vacancies

To view current job vacancies and how to apply, please visit: Employment.

Would you like to be invited to High Commission events?

Australians wishing to register socially with the Australian High Commissionto be kept updated of our events, such as Australia Day and ANZAC Day, should complete the Australian Community Outreach form and send it to [email protected]. You can also stay up to date with everything the High Commission is doing by following us on our Facebookpage, Australia in Brunei Darussalam.

Are you an Australian Global Alumni?

Did you Study in Australia? The High Commission likes to stay connected with graduates of all Australian educational institutions. If you have completed high school, university, in service training or other education in Australia please fill out the Alumni Registration Form and email it to [email protected] to stay informed about tailored events and opportunities.

The Australian Government has also created a virtual global network for international scholars and fellows who have studied in Australia and for Australians who have studied overseas. Go to our Brunei Australia Alumni page to find out more!