Attention: If you took out a Canada Student Loan between 2000 and 2006...
(Sorry for the cross-posting, but this is important. I'm one of the people affected and only found out today after calling the hotline.)
From this page:
Please be advised that an electronic storage device, also known as an external portable hard drive, containing personal information on 583,000 Canada Student Loan borrowers who were clients of the Canada Student Loans Program (CSLP) from 2000-2006 has been lost from an HRSDC office in Gatineau, Quebec.
While there is no evidence at this time that any of the information has been accessed or used for fraudulent purposes, this incident is being taken very seriously and the Office of the Minister has engaged the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Extensive and thorough search efforts have been undertaken and continue.
The external portable hard drive included:
HRSDC is sending letters to individuals affected, for whom we have current contact information, to advise them of the incident and what steps to take to help protect their personal information.
A toll-free number has been set-up at 1-866-885-1866 (or 1-416-572-1113 for those outside of North America) for individuals to verify if they are affected by this incident, and to ask additional questions regarding this issue. Hours of operation will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.EST, 7 days a week, starting Monday, January 14, 2013, for as long as needed.
People with a hearing or speech impairment and using a teletypewriter (TTY) can call 1-800-263-5883. This toll-free number will also be operational 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.EST.
From this page:
Please be advised that an electronic storage device, also known as an external portable hard drive, containing personal information on 583,000 Canada Student Loan borrowers who were clients of the Canada Student Loans Program (CSLP) from 2000-2006 has been lost from an HRSDC office in Gatineau, Quebec.
While there is no evidence at this time that any of the information has been accessed or used for fraudulent purposes, this incident is being taken very seriously and the Office of the Minister has engaged the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Extensive and thorough search efforts have been undertaken and continue.
The external portable hard drive included:
- personal information on 583,000 Canada Student Loan borrowers who were clients of the CSLP from 2000-2006. Student loan borrowers from the province of Quebec, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories during the same time period are not affected;
- Student names, Social Insurance Numbers, dates of birth, contact information and loan balance of Canada Student Loan borrowers;
- Personal contact information of 250 HRSDC employees;
- No banking or medical information was included on the portable hard drive.
HRSDC is sending letters to individuals affected, for whom we have current contact information, to advise them of the incident and what steps to take to help protect their personal information.
A toll-free number has been set-up at 1-866-885-1866 (or 1-416-572-1113 for those outside of North America) for individuals to verify if they are affected by this incident, and to ask additional questions regarding this issue. Hours of operation will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.EST, 7 days a week, starting Monday, January 14, 2013, for as long as needed.
People with a hearing or speech impairment and using a teletypewriter (TTY) can call 1-800-263-5883. This toll-free number will also be operational 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.EST.