Online real estate classifieds site Domain Holdings Australia Ltd (ASX: DHG) has been hit by a cyberattack.
The company sent an email to users warning them to take caution when applying for rental properties.
"We have identified a scam that used a phishing attack to gain access to Domain's administrative systems to engage with people who have made rental property enquiries," Domain chief Jason Pellegrino said, as first reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.
"We understand the scammers then contacted some of these people by email to suggest that they pay a 'deposit' to secure a rental property on a website nominated by the scammer."
The Motley Fool has contacted Domain for comment.
According to Pellegrino, Domain has put measures in place to prevent further damage since finding out about the breach.
"We are sorry for any stress or negative impact this causes you," he said in the email to users.
"Unfortunately, since COVID, scams like these have been on the rise."
The company is currently unaware of exactly how many users might be impacted by the scam.
The Domain share price is up 0.46% trading at $4.40 at the time of writing.
"It is disappointing for us to find out that after such a challenging past 12 months for many of us, some see this as an opportunity to take advantage of others," said Pellegrino of the scam.
Domain was originally spun off from Fairfax Media, which was since bought out by Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC). Nine still holds a majority stake in the online classifieds site.
Nine itself suffered from a cyber-breach in March that saw live television disrupted.
The Nine share price is currently trading at $2.85, up 3.64% from the previous close.
