Data leak at Desjardins | Victims unable to obtain employment insurance benefits

(Ottawa) The massive leak of personal information that occurred in 2019 at Desjardins Group continues to poison the lives of many Quebecers. Workers who lost their jobs because of health restrictions are now having their claims for employment insurance benefits suspended because they were victims of identity theft.

Joel-Denis Bellavance
The Press

Fraudsters who got their hands on their personal data submitted a claim for benefits on their behalf. And Service Canada, which manages claims for benefits, is slow to clarify their case.

These Quebecers are piling up unpaid bills. They have to borrow money from relatives to pay for their groceries. They make multiple calls to inquire about the status of their application for employment insurance benefits. They are told their case is still under review when they manage to speak to an agent after hours of waiting on the phone. Some claim to be squarely on the brink of despair.

Over the past few days, The Press spoke with three people, all members of Desjardins, who find themselves in this predicament.

“On October 31, I applied for regular unemployment. Normally it takes 14-28 days. But I’m still waiting. I was not told right away that I had been the victim of fraud. I found out after two months. I have been waiting for over 80 days. Nothing is moving,” said Joël Guillemette, from Saint-Pamphile, in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, with a sigh on the phone.

Aged 36 and father of a 3-year-old daughter, Mr. Guillemette quit his job at the BMR hardware store last year to take training to become a mechanic. He explained that he was unaware that he had been the victim of fraud until he learned of it from a Service Canada agent.

“Lucky that I have good parents and good in-laws. Otherwise it would be very hard. We try to get help as we can. We cut as much as possible. It’s not normal. We don’t have an answer. I’ve been calling them every day for at least three weeks for answers. I am exhausted. I’m tired. My spouse is also tired. I’m three months behind on all my payments. I have an account of nearly $ 1,000 from Hydro-Québec on my fridge that I am unable to pay, ”he said in a voice filled with emotions.

Account suspended

In Drummondville, Mathieu Morneau is living the same nightmare. Since the start of the pandemic, the company where he works, bus manufacturer Girardin Blue Bird, has opted for work sharing. Mr. Morneau has therefore seen his hours reduced and he must submit a claim for employment insurance benefits regularly. He wanted to reactivate his request on October 16. But his account has been suspended for review. A fraudster from the Montreal area had cracked down.

“The scammer failed to extort money because there was too much different information from my account. The system blocked the request that had been made on September 23, just before mine. A month has passed, two months, nothing has happened. I called often. […] I called my MP to get things moving. I’m told it should be fixed soon. I just got a new mortgage two years ago. My borrowing capacity is zero. I still have to call Equifax and the Anti-Fraud Center to protect myself,” said Morneau.

“The data leak at Desjardins is causing me a lot of headaches. I have several work colleagues who have accounts at Desjardins to whom this has also happened. I had to stop payments. I had to borrow money from my parents. I had to kowtow 36,000 times to be able to pay my mortgage,” the 32-year-old added.

“It’s still blocked”

In Neuville, Sophie Richard, administrative assistant for a construction company, learned on November 15 that she was the victim of an attempted fraud. “I needed employment insurance because the company I work for is closing for three weeks for the holidays. I applied on December 16. But it’s still blocked. I have had no income since then,” she said.

The worst thing is that M.^me Richard notified Service Canada that a fraud attempt was underway after receiving notice that her benefits were being reactivated despite not having submitted an application. “I blocked her just in time. We were about to pay money into another account of the fraudster. I had to take steps to secure my data. But this whole situation is delaying my own application for benefits. »

Conservative MP Alain Rayes, who is taking steps to resolve the situation of Mathieu Morneau, says that 80% of the calls his office has received in recent weeks relate to cases of victims of fraud.

“We have fellow citizens who are dealing with emergencies. But we are unable to get the exact picture from the government. These people cannot get the help promised to them by Justin Trudeau because of the impacts of the pandemic. It is high time for the Trudeau government to find solutions to help these people. We are talking about people who have to feed themselves, clothe themselves and lodge themselves, ”plagued Mr. Rayes.

At the Department of Employment and Social Development, it is stated that “the vast majority of employment insurance claims are paid properly”. But it is emphasized that in times of crisis, “the risk of fraud is increased”. Ottawa also announced in 2020 the investment of $68 million over four years in initiatives to better protect the personal data of Canadians.

“The Ministry recognizes the difficulties that any delay in the delivery of benefits can cause to claimants and their families. […] We are working closely with providers to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. For the time being, we are prioritizing cases of pressing need, situations for which citizens have no income. Claimants will not lose their benefits as a result of this delay,” an email said. The Press.