Did Australian PM’s Bank Account Get Hacked? Two Ernst & Young Employees Held

Last Updated:June 30, 2026, 18:22 IST

Ernst & Young employees accused of hacking Anthony Albanese bank account, charged in Sydney as police and officials highlight serious data privacy concerns.

Two employees of Ernst & Young employees have been booked for allegedly hacking into Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese’s personal banking account, police said on Tuesday.

The Independent quoted the Australian Federal Police (AFP) saying that two men from Sydney on temporary assignment at Commonwealth Bank of ​Australia (CBA) were charged on May 6 with accessing restricted personal data belonging to a federal parliamentarian.

Though the police has not named the lawmaker, the local media has reported that Albanese was the one targeted.

“As the matter ​is before ⁠the court, no further comment will be made," an AFP spokesperson told Reuters by email.

The CBA said: “It is not appropriate for us to comment on individual contractor matters."

Meanwhile, both accused have been granted police bail. The two appeared in Sydney’s Newtown local court on Tuesday.

The Independent cited Australian Financial Review (AFR) stating that EY has terminated the contract of the two employees who were facing criminal charges after they allegedly accessed Albanese’s bank details and those of at least one EY partner.

According to ABC News, the accused were Paul Issa, 21, and Phillip Issa, 25. Paul also faces charge of using a communications device to distribute personal information “in a way that reasonable persons would regard, in all the circumstances, as menacing or harassing towards those individuals", it said.

Following the incident, Treasurer Jim Chalmers refused to comment on the matter, saying “But I think on the face of it any developments ​of ⁠that kind are incredibly concerning, not ‌just in relation to the PM’s details but any Australians’ details."

“In general, that’s what I would say about that. I assume that there are now legal and other processes to play out, and I don’t want to get in the way of those," he added.

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