What this notice covers
Services Australia and the Department of Finance have published a formal notice in the Federal Register of Legislation about a data matching program involving Spectrum Medical Imaging Pty Limited customers affected by a data breach that occurred in November 2024. The notice was registered on 22 July 2026.
What a data matching program means
A data matching program means government agencies are cross-referencing their own records with data provided by Spectrum Medical Imaging Pty Limited to identify and address potential fraud. Services Australia will compare the data against Medicare program customer records to detect and address fraud relating to Centrelink or Medicare details.
What data is being matched
Where a government-related identifier (such as a Medicare number or Centrelink Reference Number) was disclosed, or reasonably expected to have been disclosed, as part of the data breach, the following information may be matched:
- Government related identifier
- Customer name
- Customer date of birth
- Customer address
Scale of the breach
Spectrum Medical Imaging Pty Limited's initial analysis indicates approximately 6,144 customers may be impacted.
Where to find more information
The notice references a protocol document, "Data matching activities for third party organisation data breaches," published by Services Australia, along with Services Australia's privacy policy. Neither the notice nor this summary directs affected businesses or individuals to take a specific action — for guidance on next steps, refer to Services Australia's published protocol document or contact them directly. The full notice text is available at legislation.gov.au/C2026G00473.
This is a plain-English summary for information only, not legal or compliance advice. Always check the official source or consult a qualified professional.