Patients of one of Australia's largest IVF clinics targeted in data web leak

Daily Mail​

23-07-2025

Patients of a leading fertility clinic that charges $12,890 per IVF cycle have had their personal details and medical diagnoses leaked on the dark web.
Genea said it became aware of suspicious activity on its network in February and launched an investigation, a statement on its website said.
It discovered a cyber security breach had exposed patients' sensitive data.
The fertility giant was granted a court-ordered injunction to stop access, use, dissemination or publication of the data by anyone who receives it.
But, some patients have since claimed they were only told about the breach last week, five months on from the incident.
A woman, who wished to remain anonymous, slammed Genea Fertility's communication about the leak as 'appalling'.
'We only found out about this data breach from an email notification at 11pm last Friday night, outside of business hours,' she told news.com.au.
'The fact the breach occurred in February, and we are only now being notified, five months on, for the very first time that sensitive information... was stolen and is on the dark web is utterly unacceptable.'
Patients impacted by the data leak were sent tailored emails about the breach last week
The woman said it 'beggars' belief' that the company still had her information when she stopped contact with the clinic more than a decade ago in 2013.
A father and former customer, Matthew Maher, said he received an email on Thursday night saying his number, name, address, phone number, Medicare number and private health insurance number had all been leaked on the dark web.
Mr Maher, whose daughter was conceived with the clinic, said he had been getting 'weird phone calls' the past few weeks.
'I have told them if there is a class action or a claim of compensation, I'll be the first to sign up,' he told the publication.
Genea issued formal notifications to former and current patients in February in accordance with guidelines from the Australian Information Commissioner.
Following a months-long investigation, the clinic then contacted patients with specific details on what personal information had been shared.
Victims whose medical diagnosis and clinical information was at risk as well as their personal details were categorised as 'Annexure A'.
Genea has not confirmed how many customers have been affected due to ongoing investigations by the Australian Federal Police.
The company is one of Australia's three largest IVF providers and has clinics in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.
A spokesperson for the clinic told Daily Mail Australia the company's own investigation has concluded.
'We are now starting to communicate with individuals about the findings from our investigation that are relevant to them, and the steps and support measures in place to help them protect their personal information,' they said.
'Genea expects to communicate with all impacted individuals over the coming weeks.'
The firm has partnered with IDCARE, Australia's national identity and cyber support service, and set up a dedicated call centre and email service.
'We thank our community for their patience and understanding during this cyber incident,' the spokesperson said.
'We deeply regret that personal information was accessed and published and sincerely apologise for any concern this incident may have caused.'
Genea has also notified and is cooperating with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, the National Office of Cyber Security, the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and relevant state departments.