Hackers threaten to leak Qantas customer data after failed talks

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Qantas is on alert as hackers threaten to leak what they claim is nearly one billion customer records stolen from dozens of companies worldwide.

The cybercriminal group, calling itself “Scattered LAPSUS$ Hunters,” posted the threat on the dark web, claiming to have breached systems linked to major firms — including Qantas, Disney, Google, IKEA, Toyota, McDonald’s, Air France, and KLM.

The hackers are attempting to extort cloud software giant Salesforce, which hosts data for many of these companies. Salesforce has confirmed it won’t pay or negotiate, insisting its platform was not directly compromised.

Qantas said it’s aware of the situation and continues to support affected customers. The airline has a 24/7 assistance line and a court injunction in place to stop stolen data from being shared.

The latest threat follows a July breach involving an offshore Qantas call centre, which exposed personal details of 5.7 million customers, including several politicians — though no credit card or passport data was taken.

Cybersecurity experts say the hackers are known for spreading misinformation but have a record of releasing large amounts of data. They reportedly gained access by tricking employees at Salesforce-linked companies, rather than exploiting software flaws.

Authorities continue to investigate, with the hackers threatening to release the stolen information if their demands aren’t met by October 10.

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