Cynthia Abraham
Desjardins Former Employee Leaked Info of 2.9 Million Members
June 21 – An “ill-intentioned employee” was behind the recent security breach at Groupe Desjardins that leaked the personal information of 2.9 million members. Desjardins assures members that it was not a cyberattack, and its computer systems have not been jeopardized.
Desjardins has 7 million members. The leak, carried out by the since-fired employee, affected 2.9 million individuals and 173,000 businesses – about 41% of its clientele. The records were disclosed to unnamed people without authorization.
The leaked information reportedly included names, birth dates, social insurance numbers, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses, as well as information on banking habits – all of it illegally transferred to a third party.
Back in December 2018, Desjardins began looking into a suspicious transaction and Laval police began an investigation. It took several months to uncover the breadth of the scheme.
Desjardins and police warn members to be wary of any phone calls, text messages, or emails asking for personal information.
Desjardins stated that neither passwords, PINs, nor security questions were leaked.
Laval Man with Ties to Montreal Mafia Arrested
June 19 – A Laval man with alleged ties to organized crime in Montreal was sentenced to a two-year-minus-one-day prison term after being found guilty of possessing a loaded firearm.
Forty-year-old Steve (Cook) Casale was sentenced at the Montreal courthouse last week. He was found guilty of the charge in May.
Police received information from an informant during the spring of 2017, alleging that Casale was in charge of loansharking and a sports betting operation for a group referred to as the Mirarchi Clan.
When police searched Casale’s home in Laval, they discovered a laoaded Beretta handgun and 17 grams of hashish.
Police Chase Ends with Arrest
June 12 – A 59-year-old man was arrested after a police chase that started in Montreal ended in Laval. Provincial police followed the car into Laval, where the driver took off on foot.
When the driver crossed into Laval, local police joined the chase along with a police dog. Shortly after, the man was apprehended and arrested. He was released and expected to appear in court later in the week.
An investigation surrounding the chase, including the possibility that the car was stolen, is underway.
