You could be eligible for part of the $8.7M government of Canada class action settlement
Not all class members can submit a claim.
Government sign on Canada Revenue Agency building.
A settlement for the government of Canada class action lawsuit related to online Canada Revenue Agency and Service Canada accounts was recently approved.
You could be eligible to claim money from the $8.7 million settlement soon.
This government of Canada privacy breach class action alleged that "inadequate safeguards" allowed unauthorized third parties to access confidential personal and/or financial information in online government accounts.
It's related to cyber attacks known as credential stuffing attacks that occurred between March 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020.
Online government accounts referred to in this class action lawsuit include CRA My Account, My Service Canada Account, and other accounts that use GCKey.
You're a class member if your personal or financial information in a government of Canada online account was disclosed to a third party without authorization between March 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020.
Not all class members will be able to submit a claim for money from this settlement.
You must be a class member and a victim of unauthorized access by third parties during the credential stuffing cyber attacks between June 15 and August 30, 2020, and whose personal information was accessed and/or used for fraudulent purposes to be eligible for compensation.
If you received an email from KPMG, which is the claims administrator for this class action, you're eligible to apply for a payment from this settlement.
If you didn't receive an email, you can check your compensation eligibility online through the class action site by entering your last name, the last three digits of your SIN and your email address.
Eligible class members who submit valid claims are expected to get:
- up to $80 for time spent addressing issues related to unauthorized access (Access Claim)
- up to $200 for time spent addressing fraudulent use of personal information (Fraud Claim)
- up to $5,000 for out-of-pocket expenses related to the breach, like unreimbursed fraud losses and identity theft costs (Special Compensation Fund Claim)
Those amounts could be reduced depending on the number of claims submitted and approved.
The claims process hasn't started yet, which means you can't submit a claim if you're eligible to receive compensation. You're being told to check the class action site often for updates about the claims process.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.