2 People Have Been Charged After An Ontario COVID-19 Vaccine System 'Security Breach'
A government employee has been charged.
Two people have been arrested and charged "in relation to a security breach of the COVID-19 immunization system," according to OPP.
Ontarians reported receiving scam messages after accessing services through the COVID-19 vaccine system to book appointments or access vaccine certificates, according to reports made to the Ontario government earlier this week.
OPP was asked to investigate the security breach on November 17.
A spokesperson for the solicitor general confirmed to Narcity that, "the government has received reports of spam text messages from a number of individuals who have scheduled appointments or accessed vaccine certificates through the COVID-19 immunization system."
"Ontarians should be aware these texts are financial in nature and that the government will never conduct a financial transaction through these methods."
On November 22, OPP cybercrime investigations teams used search warrants in Quebec and Ottawa to seize "several devices, computers and laptops," which led to two individuals being arrested and charged, one of whom was a government employee.
Ayoub Sayid, 21, from Gloucester, Ontario who works for the ministry of government and consumer services' vaccine contact centre was "arrested and charged with Unauthorized Use of a Computer contrary to s. 342.1 (1)(c) of the Criminal Code."
Rahim Abdu, 22, from Quebec, was arrested and charged for the same charges with the help of Sûreté du Québec for "Unauthorized Use of a Computer contrary to s. 342.1 (1)(c) of the Criminal Code," according to OPP.
Both individuals have been released from custody and are scheduled to appear in court. OPP is warning the public to "be suspicious of any text messages requesting financial or private information."