LandMark White valuation data incident

Background

Following the property valuation company, LandMark White Limited’s (LMW) ASX announcement about a recent data incident, we acknowledge that we are one of a number of financial institutions whose customer information relating to property valuations was the subject of a breach affecting LMW.

Our systems were not breached, so we can reassure you that no bank account information was disclosed. We are not aware of the data being used maliciously. We take the protection of customer data very seriously and want to keep you informed about data security and privacy issues.

The customer information that was disclosed directly relates to the valuations completed by LMW, and may include customer name, contact details such as phone or email address, and details about the valued property.

What happened?

We immediately suspended using LMW while we investigate how this breach occurred.

Importantly, none of Bankwest’s systems were breached and none of our customer’s bank account information was disclosed as part of the incident.

Advice for our customers

We will be increasing security monitoring for all of our customers affected by this incident. While we are not aware of any of the data being used maliciously, customers are also covered by our existing protection from unauthorised transactions. This protection applies to fraudulent transactions and, if you've complied with the relevant terms and conditions and not contributed to any loss, we’ll cover any loss due to unauthorised transactions on your account.

The most important thing in these situations is to be on guard against any unexpected phone calls or emails which ask you to verify or provide your personal information.

  1. Treat any unexpected phone calls or emails as suspicious. Do not give out or verify any information on unsolicited calls or click any links in unsolicited emails
  2. To verify the identity of a company, look up their contact details via their official website and use those to initiate a new enquiry
  3. Always protect your accounts with strong passwords and don’t use the same password for more than one service. Enable two-step verification on your accounts wherever available
  4. Change the password for your affected email account.

If you have any further questions about this incident we have a dedicated number 1300 300 994, available 24/7.

Further information

How did LMW get my data in the first place?

LMW is a property valuation company that assesses the value of a property when mortgage loan applications are made.

When completing a valuation, LMW creates a mortgage valuation record which includes information about the property being valued. In addition, the records may include customer names and contact information.

LMW alerted us to a data incident they experienced.

How do I know if I was affected?

We are in the process of contacting all affected customers who may have been impacted by the incident.

Are my accounts safe and how can I protect myself?

Yes, our systems were not breached, so customer accounts have not been impacted by this incident.

While we are not aware of the data being used maliciously, customers should still remain vigilant to potential scams and fraud, and immediately contact us should they notice any suspicious activity.

What steps are you taking to fix the issue?

We are contacting customers who have been affected by the incident and have increased security monitoring on their accounts.

Are you still using LMW?

The safety and security of our customer information is of paramount importance to us which is why we have immediately suspended using LMW.

Are only Bankwest customers impacted by this?

It is our understanding that the data incident has affected customers from across all of the major banks as well as a number of other financial institutions.

If you bank with other lenders and are concerned about whether you have been affected by this incident, you should contact your lender immediately.