Is this bill or text from Origin Energy a scam?
No. Origin Energy is one of Australia's biggest electricity and gas providers and a completely legitimate business. Scammers exploit that household-name trust with final-notice disconnection texts, missed-payment and refund bait, and fake price-change alerts that steer you onto a lookalike site. The good news: a few quick checks almost always tell a real Origin Energy message from a fake.
Genuine Origin Energy links lead to originenergy.com.au, origin.com.au — but a link can be made to look real, so don't go by the link alone. Below is how genuine Origin Energy contact usually works, the scams commonly run in its name, the red flags that give a fake away, and an example to compare against. Got a message in front of you? Check it now for an instant verdict.
What a real Origin Energy message looks like
Genuine messages from Origin Energy link to originenergy.com.au, origin.com.au. Treat a link to any other address as a warning sign.
- Origin says genuine links point to originenergy.com.au or origin.com.au, and warns that scam sites use lookalike, often misspelt addresses; a link can still be disguised, so check your account in My Account or the Origin app yourself
- Origin states it won't ask for your My Account password over the phone or by email
- Origin says the only safe, trusted ways to pay an Origin bill are My Account, the Origin app, originenergy.com.au/pay or calling its call centre
- Origin lists the addresses its genuine emails come from on its scam-awareness page, but sender addresses can be faked, so a matching address is a first check, not proof
- Your real, current bill and billing history are in My Account or the Origin app, so any genuine correspondence from Origin can be matched there
What a genuine Origin Energy contact shouldn't do
- Contact you asking for your online account password (Origin states it won't)
- Ask you to pay outside My Account, the Origin app, originenergy.com.au/pay or its call centre (Origin says those are the only safe, trusted ways to pay an Origin bill)
- Threaten to cut your power off within minutes or hours unless you act through a link; no legitimate energy retailer disconnects supply that way, and Origin lists short-deadline disconnection threats among the signs of a scam
Common Origin Energy scams
- SMS claiming an urgent disconnection or final notice that directs you to click a link to avoid power being cut off
- Messages pretending to be a missed payment or refund that ask you to log in via a provided link to “secure” your account
- Texts warning of a price change or new plan that push recipients to enter card or personal details on a fake site
- Messages that reference Origin's 2026 data security incident; Origin warns that when a company is in the news for a data or security issue, scammers send fake emails and texts that mention the real news
- Emails or calls about fake orders or part requests from someone claiming to be part of Origin's procurement team
Red flags to watch for
- A text or email asking you to pay through a link; Origin says the only safe ways to pay are My Account, the Origin app, originenergy.com.au/pay or its call centre
- Messages threatening immediate disconnection unless you act right now
- Links that don't point to originenergy.com.au or origin.com.au, including misspelt lookalikes, which Origin warns scam sites use
- A request for your My Account password by phone, email or text, which Origin states it won't make, or for card details or your date of birth by text
- Pressure to act within minutes or hours to avoid losing power
- Spelling mistakes or awkward grammar; Origin says its genuine communications are proofread
Origin Energy scam examples
These composed examples show how scams impersonating Origin Energy typically read, with the tells that give each one away. Compare them against anything you've received.
FINAL NOTICE from Origin: disconnection crew scheduled for your address today. Prevent power loss, settle now: origin-disconnect-hold[.]example
What gives it away:
- Origin lists being told to act urgently or face a consequence 'like disconnection within an unusually short window' among the signs of a scam
- A crew 'scheduled today' compresses your thinking time; real disconnection processes do not run through one text message
- The link isn't originenergy.com.au or origin.com.au; check your balance in My Account or the Origin app instead
Subject: Payment issue on your Origin account. We could not process your last payment and a credit is being held for you. Log in at origin-account-refunds[.]example to secure your account and release your refund.
What gives it away:
- Missed payment plus a waiting refund in the same message is bait; each half is meant to hook a different reader
- The login link is a lookalike, not originenergy.com.au or origin.com.au, and Origin states it won't ask for your My Account password by email; 'securing your account' through it hands the password over
- Any real payment problem or credit would be visible inside your logged-in Origin account or the Origin app
A page at origin-newplan-offers[.]example warns that your electricity plan is changing and your rate will jump unless you confirm your details, then asks for your date of birth, card number and account password to 'lock in' the old price.
What gives it away:
- No energy retailer needs your card number, password and date of birth to keep you on a plan; that combination exists to take over your accounts
- The address isn't originenergy.com.au or origin.com.au, the domains Origin says genuine links point to
- Price-change panic is the hook named in Origin impersonation scams; plan details are checked by logging in yourself, not through a supplied page
Not sure about your message?
Paste the suspicious Origin Energy text or email and get an instant scam verdict, free.
How to verify a message from Origin Energy
Origin Energy's real website is originenergy.com.au and its listed phone number is 13 24 61; the official app is the Origin app. Reach Origin Energy through those channels, never through the details inside a message you're unsure about.
- Do not click, reply or call any number in the message, as Origin advises
- Open the Origin app or type originenergy.com.au into your browser yourself and check your balance, plan and messages in My Account
- Compare what the message claims against what your logged-in account actually shows; a real final notice or refund would appear inside
- Still unsure? Call Origin on 13 24 61, then report anything that does not match to Scamwatch (link below)
If you have been scammed in Origin Energy's name
Clicked the link, paid, or shared details? Act now. The first hour matters more than anything else you do later.
- If card or bank details went in, contact your bank or financial institution straight away: block the card, dispute the payment and ask about recovery
- Call Origin's customer service team on 13 24 61, as Origin advises, so it can check your account
- Disconnect the device you used from the internet and run an anti-virus scan, then change your Origin password by typing originenergy.com.au yourself, and anywhere else you used the same one
- If you gave your date of birth, licence or other identity details, contact IDCARE (idcare.org) for a free tailored response plan
- Report the scam to Scamwatch and ReportCyber using the links below, and forward the scam text to 7226 so carriers can block it
Where to report a scam impersonating Origin Energy
Received — or fell for — a message impersonating Origin Energy? Report it. It helps authorities and carriers shut the campaign down for everyone who gets the next one.
- Origin Energy scam alerts — Origin Energy's own page on current scams and how to report one.
- Scamwatch — Report the scam to the ACCC's national scam service.
- ReportCyber — Report cybercrime and financial loss to the police.
- ACMA — Complain about scam texts and spam SMS, email or calls.
- Forward to 7226 (SCAM) — Forward the scam SMS to short code 7226 so carriers can block the source.
- IDCARE — Free identity and cyber support if your details were taken.
Origin Energy scam activity in 2026
Origin impersonation risk rose in 2026. Origin began publishing updates on a data security incident on 22 July, and its 21 August update said it had contacted the approximately 900,000 current and former customers whose information was accessed, which for most included some combination of name, address, date of birth, contact phone number and account information. Origin warns that scammers move fast when a company is in the news, sending fake emails and texts that reference the real story, so a message that quotes your real details proves nothing. The older scripts still circulate too: final notices with a disconnection crew on the way, missed payments that come with a refund to release, and price-change scares. Check anything in the Origin app or My Account, or call 13 24 61, and remember Origin states it won't contact you asking for your online account password.
Frequently asked questions
I got a text from Origin Energy with a link. Is it a scam?
Be cautious. Don't click, reply or call any number in the text, as Origin advises; check it through My Account, the Origin app or by calling Origin on 13 24 61. Origin says the only safe ways to pay an Origin bill are My Account, the Origin app, originenergy.com.au/pay or its call centre, so a text asking you to pay through any other link is a scam.
How do I know if an Origin Energy message is real?
Log in to My Account or the Origin app yourself: Origin says your real, current bill and billing history will be there, and any genuine correspondence will match. Check that links point to originenergy.com.au or origin.com.au, and watch for misspelt lookalikes and poor grammar.
What should I do if I clicked a fake Origin Energy link?
Contact your bank straight away, disconnect the device from the internet and run an anti-virus scan, then call Origin on 13 24 61 so it can help, as Origin recommends. If you entered personal details, consider contacting IDCARE on 1800 595 160, and report the message to Scamwatch.
What is Origin Energy's real website and phone number?
Origin's websites are originenergy.com.au and origin.com.au, and its customer service number is 13 24 61. Get there by typing the address into your browser yourself or by using the Origin app, rather than following links in texts or emails.
Does Origin's 2026 data incident make scam messages more likely?
Origin has warned that others may exploit the incident, including by impersonating Origin, and says scammers move fast when a company is in the news. Be extra careful with any message that mentions the incident, and remember that a scammer quoting your name, address or account details proves nothing. Origin states it won't contact customers asking for online account passwords.
How do I report an Origin Energy scam?
Origin asks you to forward suspicious emails to hello@origin.com.au and report the message to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au, and not to forward it to friends or family as a warning. Forward scam texts to 7226 (spells SCAM) so your carrier can block the sender. If money left your account or you entered personal details, also report it through ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au and contact your bank.
Scam message examples
Related scam types
Scams impersonating Origin Energy usually fit one of these patterns. Learn how each works:
Related brands
Other utility names scammers impersonate — check a message from one:
Sources
- How to tell if a message is a scam or really from Origin (Origin Energy)
- Update on Origin's data security incident (Origin Energy)
- Text or SMS scams (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Report a scam (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice — always verify with Origin Energy through an official channel.