Here are four things to know about the scheme.
1. The vendor advertises “Purchase this listing and leave the first and last name, and DOB of any Australian citizen, and you will receive their Medicare patient details in full.” The Guardian confirmed the vendor’s claim by requesting the data of a The Guardian staff member.
2. The vendor is ranked as “highly trusted” on the site, which serves as a popular virtual auction for illegal products. Since October 2016, the vendor has sold the Medicare details of at least 75 patients.
3. It is unclear how the vendor obtains Medicare details, however, the vendor’s listing specifies they are “exploiting a vulnerability” in the Australian government system.
4. A spokesperson for the Australian Government Department of Human Services told The Guardian the department “does not comment on cyber operations, however will confirm that investigations into activities on the dark web continually occur.”
“The department takes the security of personal data extremely seriously. Thorough investigations are conducted whenever claims such as this are made,” she continued.
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