Melbourne family scammed for over $40,000 following Optus data breach

As the fallout continues following the Optus data breach, one Melbourne family have lost more than $40,000.

Jimmy Marinis and Mary-Jane Daffy told Today they believe identity thieves "piggy backed" off the Optus hack and gained access to their bank accounts, emptying out their credit cards along the way.

"Our complete identity has been taken off for us in the past two weeks," Jimmy told Today.

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He said several transactions had been made, accounts had been opened, personal loans had been applied for under their names and their credit cards were drained.

The pair run a small business together and Mary-Jane said the whole ordeal "felt like watching your house slowly burn to the ground".

"I think it's incredibly paralysing," she said.

"In real time you are watching your money getting siphoned out of your bank account or loan applications, credit applications, new phones being taken out in your name, numbers being changed. The list goes on."

See what else Jimmy and Mary-Jane had to say in the video above

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