Energy Giant Allegedly Pilfers from the Poor, Cries 'Accident'
Origin Energy, a paragon of corporate social responsibility (when it suits them), is being dragged to court for allegedly bilking $2.5 million from 3,400 former Centrelink customers. They reportedly took payments through Centrepay for accounts that were already closed, with one customer 'accidentally' parting with $11,000. Regulators note these victims were 'likely experiencing economic
vulnerability'—a polite way of saying they preyed on the poor. This isn't just an 'oopsie' with a few lost pennies. We're talking 77,000 alleged law breaches over six years. It’s almost as if the 'profit motive' consistently finds its way to the lowest hanging fruit, often located in the emptiest pockets. One might wonder how many 'errors' of this magnitude happen without anyone noticing until the
regulator intervenes. Next, they'll probably tell us it was a 'technical glitch' or 'unforeseen operational complexity.'