A1. We regret to inform that an unauthorised third-party was temporarily able to gain access to   the external mail platform provider we use for electronic communications and newsletters. Together with the provider, once we became aware of the unauthorised access to the platform, we took immediate steps to block the third-party and secure the system.

A2. The information that was accessed was of a ‘personal’ nature and included some, or all of the following, information:

• Full name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Address
• Date of birth

A3. No, the unauthorised third party did not have access to any financial, banking or credit card information. The email platform does not store sensitive or financial information.

The following data was not involved in this incident:

• Credit card or banking details
• Tax File Number (TFN)
• Passport or driver licence details
• Any other government issued identity information

A4. No. Barossa Co-op took immediate steps to block the unauthorised third-party and secured the system.

A5. An interim notification to members of Barossa Co-op, who have email addresses, was sent on Wednesday March 18^th, 2026. This communication advised members not to click on any links and advised of the initial email phishing incident.

Since that initial communication and having access to the mail lists of those customers and members who had subscribed to the electronic newsletter, specific contact has been made with each individual advising them of how they had been impacted.

In addition, Barossa Co-op has:

• Notified the ‘Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’ (OAIC) of the incident.
• Advised the local Barossa Community via a public notice advertisement, on Wednesday 25^th March 2026, ‘The Leader’ newspaper.
• Provided a copy of the Public Notice and this FAQ document on Barossa Co-op’s website.
• Set up a specific email address for customers and members to use if they would like further information.

A6. At this stage the incident has been resolved, with the root cause being addressed, including appropriate actions taken to block third-party access and secure the platform. Barossa Co-op will resume using the provider’s platform for electronic newsletter communications.

A7. There’s no further action you need to take. We’re committed to sharing updates regarding the incident with you if required; however, we do recommend the following Cyber Best practice tips to improve your online security:

• Update your passwords with ‘strong’ passwords.
• Regularly change your passwords across all your online services, avoid re-using passwords, and activate multi-factor authentication on any online accounts, where available.
• Remain alert for any phishing scams that may come to you by phone, SMS, post, or email.
• Take steps to verify any communications you receive to ensure they are legitimate.
• Being careful when opening or responding to texts from unknown or suspicious numbers.

Please be assured that neither Barossa Co-op, or its businesses (including Barossa Fresh, Barossa Mitre 10, Barossa Betta, Intersport Barossa, Barossa Toyworld, The Design Studio, Barossa Lifestyle, Barossa Workwear and Barossa Central Shopping Centre) will contact you asking for your passwords or personal information. If you receive any request from someone purporting to contact you on behalf of The Barossa Co-op or any of its businesses and requests that you provide your login details or other personal information, then we recommend that you cease the communication with that individual and you notify the ReportCyber  and /or ScamWatch websites.

Understand Government’s advice

• The Australian Government has published information on the steps you can take to safeguard your data. You can view this on their Cyber website.
• If a person contacts you threatening to release your data unless payment is made, please report this immediately to ReportCyber via their website.
• To report a scam, please do so via the ScamWatch website.
• For further support on what to do if you are a victim of identity fraud, visit the OAIC website for more information on your privacy rights.

A8. If you wish to speak to one of our team members with any further queries, please email enquiries@barossa.coop with your best contact number, the information you require and one of our team will contact you as soon as possible.

Barossa Co-op treats personal security seriously and we apologise unreservedly for any impact this event may have had.